Duquesne Light Company Continues Restoration Following Severe Weather and Extreme Heat
Contractors and mutual assistance from American Electric Power (AEP) in Ohio and West Virginia assisting in restoration efforts
PITTSBURGH — Duquesne Light Company (DLC) crews — with assistance from contractors and mutual assistance crews from American Electric Power (AEP) in Ohio and West Virginia — are continuing to restore service to 12,000 customers who remain out of power following severe weather that passed through DLC’s service territory Monday evening. Crews have been working around the clock since last evening to restore more than 85,000 customers.
The estimated time of restoration for all customers is 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, with many customers expected to be restored sooner. Customers who remain without power should consider alternate arrangements to stay cool and safe — especially during this historic heat wave. With the potential for more storms and heat-related issues this week, the estimated time of restoration could move into next week.
Reminders for the Public
Safety is of the utmost importance, and we strongly recommend customers follow these tips:
- Ensure that cell phones and other necessary electronics are fully charged.
- Drink plenty of water and have ice handy to use for cooling packs.
- Avoid downed power lines and give ample space to lineworkers.
- Avoid walking under or around dead or dying trees as well as trees with dangling limbs.
- Keep supplies in an emergency preparedness kit, including water bottles, non-perishable food, first-aid supplies, flashlights and a battery-powered radio.
- Avoid opening refrigerator and freezer doors. Food will stay frozen in a fully loaded freezer for 36-48 hours if the door remains closed.
- Seek a location with air conditioning when possible. The city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny and Beaver Counties have activated cooling centers throughout the area. Reach out to your local municipality for up-to-date information on these centers.
Customers should always call 9-1-1 for any emergency medical issues that could be impacted by an outage. Because of the intense heat forecasted this week, DLC also advises checking on elderly family members, friends and neighbors who live alone.
“We understand how inconvenient losing your electric service can be—especially during this extended heat wave. We’re grateful for our utility partners from AEP who have traveled from West Virginia and Ohio to assist in restoration efforts,” said Kristy Stone, chief customer officer for DLC. “Our DLC crews have been working tirelessly through the heat and continued severe weather to assess damage, make things safe for our customers and restore power to homes and businesses. We extend our deep appreciation for everyone’s patience while we work as safely and quickly as possible.”
Nearly 250 lineworkers and troubleshooters are working around the clock to restore power to as many customers as possible. Due to the extensive damage and outages, about 150 additional crews from contractors and mutual assistance from American Electric Power (AEP) in West Virginia and Ohio are aiding in restoring power to the Pittsburgh area.
DLC’s Restoration Process
When the extent of weather damage is widespread throughout the area, company personnel have to prioritize restoration in this order: public safety hazards, public health and safety facilities (critical customers), major circuits then small neighborhoods/individual homes. For more information on DLC's restoration priorities, please visit our website.
If customers see a truck come and go, this is most likely due to DLC’s troubleshooters — who are responsible for examining outage sites before repair crews arrive to feed information to lineworkers for them to come fully prepared. Another reason why customers can see DLC employees arrive and leave without service being restored can be due to DLC’s line sitters — who protect hazardous areas from community members until crews can arrive on scene and assess the damage. Often times, vegetation crews are then assigned to the scene to remove debris, or a crew must come to replace a pole. Once debris is cleared or reconstruction takes place, the lineworkers are then assigned to complete the restoration on the wires.
In the event of an outage, the quickest way to report it is through DuquesneLight.com or the free DLC Mobile app. Those without internet access can call 888-393-7000. Customers should keep in mind that crews are aware of outages as soon as they are reported, even if they do not immediately appear on DLC’s outage map.
Customers can follow DLC on Twitter/X (@DuquesneLight) and Facebook (@DuquesneLight) for additional updates.