Frequently asked questions about outages

Answers to common questions about power outages.

Do I need to call the PUD to report my outage?

Yes. We rely on customer phone calls to determine the extent and location of power outages. Please call (503) 397-1844 to report outages when they occur.

Why won't you tell me when my power will come back on?

Many different factors influence the amount of time it takes to restore power during an outage, including weather conditions, accessibility to damaged power lines and safety issues. These factors make it difficult for us to accurately predict how long it may take to restore your power.

My lights blinked off but came back on. Do I need to report the outage?

If your lights blink off once or twice but then come back on, you do not need to report the outage, unless they are noticeably more dim when they come back on.

Why is my power out, when my neighbor's power is on?

We know it can be frustrating and confusing to see that your neighbors have power when you don't. There are several reasons this might happen:

You may be on a different distribution line or transformer than your neighbors
There may be damage to your service line that must be repaired before you power is restored.
There may be damage to the electrical wiring in your home that must be repaired before power is restored.

How does the PUD decide whose power to restore first?

When a storm causes multiple outages, we prioritize repairs to get the largest number of customers back on first. Read more about how we restore power.

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