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Talented residents protest against ongoing power outages

A group of about 100 people gathered in front of Talent City Hall on Tuesday.

Organizer Cheryl Lashley said she has been tracking the power outages since July 1. She said there have been 17 outages since then, lasting between 45 minutes and nearly 20 hours.

“These outages … they affect us,” she said. “Those of us who have people in our homes who are on oxygen or ventilators or something like that.”

In addition to having to ensure her husband received oxygen, Lashley said she also lost water during the outages because the well her property is connected to was turned off.

Electric utility Pacific Power said the outages were caused by “enhanced safety settings” on power lines to prevent wildfires from starting during the hot, dry summer months.

“These are settings that are made on equipment that is designed to de-energize power lines within a fraction of a second when a fault or disturbance is detected on the line,” Pacific Power spokesman Simon Gutierrez said by phone. “If a tree branch were to touch the power lines, the power would be cut immediately and would remain off until our teams are on site and can check the line.”

Gutierrez said Pacific Power is in contact with Talent Mayor Darby Ayers-Flood and City Manager Gary Milliman to develop solutions. He said since meeting with city officials nearly two weeks ago, Pacific Power has adjusted circuit settings and installed new equipment to minimize outages and respond more quickly to customer requests. The changes were detailed in an email sent to Talent residents on Monday.

“We’re trying to strike a balance here between safety and reliability,” Gutierrez said. “It can be a delicate balance, but when there’s an increased risk of fire, we have to err on the side of caution.”

Talent was one of several communities devastated by the Almeda Fire, which destroyed approximately 2,300 residential properties in the Rogue Valley in September 2020.

Oregon State Sen. Jeff Golden (D-Ashland), who answered questions during the rally, said that by increasing sensitivity in line settings, Pacific Power is trying to protect itself from liability for causing wildfires during the summer months, but ignoring the risks would be a recipe for another Almeda Fire.

“We have to hold Pacific Power responsible for this,” Golden said. “But I don’t blame them for us being in this situation and not being adequately prepared. I don’t know anyone here in the Western United States or anywhere else who could have foreseen the situation we are in now.”

Golden suggested keeping pressure on Pacific Power by submitting a compilation of residents’ stories about the outages to the Public Utilities Commission, the sole regulatory agency with authority over the utility.

Lashley added that while she understands it is important for Pacific Power to take safety precautions, the company should do a better job of informing the public about power outages.

“My mantra is, ‘Keep them under pressure,'” Lashley said. “And yes, the pun is intended. We have to keep at it.”

By Bronte

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