Nearly 1,500 affected by planned power outage
Nearly 1,500 customers in the Mon Valley were without power for about four hours early Wednesday as West Penn Power crews repaired equipment at a nearby substation.
The “planned outage” was scheduled from 11:30 p.m. Tuesday until 3:30 a.m. today and affected people living in parts of Fallowfield, Carroll, Monongahela and Donora, West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said.
Crews planned to repair the equipment at a substation near Charleroi that, if not fixed, could cause a larger malfunction and longer power outage later, Meyers said.
“Obviously, it’s not an ideal time, but it’s work that needs to be done, and needs to be done now,” Meyers said.
He added that the temperatures were expected to be slightly higher early Wednesday than previous nights and that they hoped to make repairs faster than four hours.
Affected customers and municipal leaders were contacted in advance, he said.
“You always try to do these things when you can in the evening time to be less disruptive to businesses and schools,” Meyers said of the time frame.
About 1,600 customers in the Claysville area were without power for several hours Tuesday morning following a problem at a substation near that borough, Meyers said.