LEWISTON, ID — Power has been restored to more than 10,750 members served by Clearwater Power, including households that experienced outages lasting more than a week following a severe windstorm earlier this month.
According to a media release from Clearwater Power, crews and contracted partners worked through the Christmas holiday to restore service to an additional 250 members who had been without power since early Wednesday morning, Dec. 17. The outages were caused by a powerful windstorm that brought gusts exceeding 80 miles per hour across the region.
The cooperative reported that extremely wet soil conditions combined with high winds led to widespread damage, including downed trees and power poles. Equipment, substations, and all main distribution lines across the Clearwater Power system sustained damage, resulting in system-wide outages. Fallen trees blocking roads and additional snow and wind further slowed repair efforts.
“The incredibly beautiful, but incredibly rugged landscape we serve brings challenges when it comes to providing power to our members,” Clearwater Power Chief Executive Officer Telly Stanger said in the release. He noted that while the cooperative works year-round to improve system reliability, the scale of the storm created significant obstacles for restoration efforts.
Clearwater Power serves three to four customers per mile of power line across more than 3,000 miles of infrastructure in some of the most rural areas of the region. The cooperative’s service territory spans 11 counties across Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, covering more than 5,000 square miles.
To address the extensive damage, Clearwater Power increased staffing levels, bringing in four times the number of linemen typically required to maintain the system. Contracted and out-of-area cooperative crews joined local line and vegetation management teams to complete repairs.
Crews are expected to continue working through the weekend to replace damaged poles and complete repairs ahead of forecasted snow and colder temperatures. Remaining outages include homes requiring additional work by licensed electricians before meters can be safely re-energized, as well as unoccupied cabins, which will be addressed in the coming weeks.
Clearwater Power officials said members experiencing ongoing power issues are encouraged to contact the cooperative’s 24-hour outage line at 208-743-1501.
