Duquesne Light Company Crews Restoring Power Following Damaging High Winds
More than 150,000 customers currently without service; company securing mutual assistance to help with restoration efforts
PITTSBURGH — Following strong winds that came through the Pittsburgh region on Friday, March 13, Duquesne Light Company (DLC) is safely working around the clock to restore service to more than 150,000 customers. Due to the extensive damage and outages, DLC is requesting mutual assistance from utility peers, including from other states and Canada, to assist with restoration efforts.
High wind gusts reaching more than 65 mph knocked down trees, brought down wires and damaged utility poles. With the ongoing severe weather, crews are currently working to isolate and restore as many customers as possible, focusing first on critical and emergent needs.
During periods of high winds, established safety protocols may temporarily limit certain work, including restricting lineworkers from operating bucket trucks until conditions improve. These precautions are critical to protecting our crews and may result in delays in damage assessments and restoration efforts, but they ensure our employees can work safely as they restore service.
Safety remains DLC’s top priority, and the company continues to urge customers to stay away from downed wires, broken poles and other safety hazards. No one should approach a downed wire or any objects that are around or touching a wire, including puddles. The public should also give ample space to lineworkers and troubleshooters and report downed wires or other hazardous situations by calling 888-393-7000.
Safety Reminders
- Call 9-1-1 for any emergency medical issues.
- Avoid walking under or around trees that have a visible trunk or dangling limbs.
- Avoid opening refrigerator and freezer doors. Food will stay frozen in a fully loaded freezer for 36-48 hours if the door remains closed.
- Use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting. Avoid using candles or other potential fire hazards.
- Keep generators far from buildings. Refrain from operating them in confined spaces, including garages.
- Check on elderly and vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors who might need additional assistance.
DLC’s Restoration Process
When the extent of weather damage is widespread throughout the area, DLC prioritizes restoration in this order:
- Public safety hazards
- Public health and safety facilities (critical customers)
- Major circuits
- Small neighborhoods/individual homes.
Learn more about DLC's restoration priorities.
In the event of an outage, customers can check DLC’s outage map or its mobile app for up-to-date information. Customers can also sign up to receive alerts from DLC through their online account at DuquesneLight.com or the mobile app.
Customers can also follow DLC on X (@DuquesneLight) and Facebook (@DuquesneLight) for additional updates.
About Duquesne Light Company
For more than 100 years, Duquesne Light Company has provided safe and reliable electric service to communities in southwestern Pennsylvania. Today, our core values of safety, integrity, dependability, equity and community enable us to serve more than 600,000 customers in two counties, including the city of Pittsburgh. We are committed to safely powering our customers’ lives while playing a leading role in our region’s clean energy transition. Our vision is to create a larger-than-light, clean energy future for all by delivering exceptional results today and boldly harnessing opportunities for tomorrow. In doing so, we can ensure a cleaner, healthier and more equitable community for generations to come. To learn more, visit DuquesneLight.com.