Duquesne Light Company Restores Power to 93% of Customers
Announces Several Municipalities to Be Restored Prior to ‘Global’ Estimated Time of Restoration from Last Week’s Severe Weather
PITTSBURGH — Duquesne Light Company (DLC) continues to work around the clock to safely restore power to about 40,000 remaining customers. Since the April 29 storm that resulted in severe damage throughout the Pittsburgh region, DLC has successfully restored ~302,000 customers. This represents approximately 93% of impacted customers.
Of the customers currently without power, ~23,000 are from the initial April 29 storm. An additional ~17,000 customers lost power from weather incidents since May 1.
Due to the extent of the damage, DLC has brought on ~600 additional crew members from outside utilities and contractors. As previously announced, after evaluating most of the damage – including broken poles, downed wires and fallen trees – DLC determined that the estimated time of restoration (ETR) for all customers (also known as the “global” ETR) is Tuesday, May 6, at 11 p.m., with many customers expected to be restored sooner.
As an update, we anticipate certain municipalities will be substantially restored by Monday, May 5 at 12:30 p.m. This encompasses all municipalities in Beaver County along with many in southeastern Allegheny County including, but not limited to: Baldwin Borough, Clairton City, Duquesne City, Homestead Borough, Jefferson Hills Borough, McKeesport City, Munhall Township, North Versailles Township, Pleasant Hills Borough, West Homestead Borough and West Mifflin Borough. These municipalities did not have as extensive damage as other portions of our service territory.
Customers are encouraged to continue to check the DLC Outage Map for the latest ETRs for their specific area, which will be updated as soon as our field crews are assigned to a location.
The City of Pittsburgh, Coraopolis, Gibsonia, Monroeville, Allison Park and Carnegie were some of the hardest hit areas in terms of overall damage. Because of the extent of the damage, we expect these communities to be restored by the global ETR of Tuesday at 11 p.m. Focused restoration efforts will take place today in these areas with the most significant damage.
Major restoration work will continue through Tuesday, May 6. DLC expects to reach the following restoration target milestones throughout its service territory over the next several days:
- Sunday, May 4: An additional 18,000 customers are slated to be restored.
- Monday, May 5: An additional 15,000 customers are slated to be restored.
- Tuesday, May 6: An additional 7,000 customers are slated to be restored.
Safety remains DLC’s top priority. The company continues to urge customers to stay at least 30 feet away from downed wires, broken poles and other safety hazards. Always assume that a downed wire is live and never 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 to DLC’s emergency number at 888-393-7000. For more safety tips on what to do if you see a downed wire, visit our website.
Additionally, customers should never move any barriers or caution tape that is put in place for public safety.
Safety Reminders and Resources
- Call 9-1-1 for any emergency medical issues.
- Avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer to help preserve food.
- Use flashlights or battery-operated 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.
Learn more about safety tips and how DLC responds to weather-related outages.
Restoration Process
When the extent of weather damage is widespread, 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 the company’s restoration priorities.
Report Outages
Due to the enormous scope of the storm’s impact, and to help the teams supporting DLC’s phone lines prioritize emergency situations, please report outages online by following these steps:
- Log in to your DLC account with your username and password.
- Select “Outages & Safety” from the Main Menu.
- Select “Report an Outage.”
- Review the entries in the form and select “Submit.”
For real-time outage updates, visit DuquesneLight.com/outages.
Avoid Scams
Be aware of bad actors who attempt to take advantage of difficult situations by portraying themselves as DLC employees or spreading misinformation. To stay safe:
- If you are unsure if you have received an authentic call from a DLC representative, hang up and call DLC at 888-393-7100 to verify the call. If you feel unsafe, call 9-1-1 immediately.
- If you determine the call was not authentic, report it to DLC by submitting a report online and also reporting it to your local police.
- Be cautious of information shared across social media and Ring that wasn’t posted or authorized by DLC. All updates from our company will always be shared on our official channels.
Learn more about how to avoid scams.
Customers can also follow DLC on X (@DuquesneLight) and Facebook (@DuquesneLight) for storm-related updates.