Idaho Power reflects on Public Safety Power Shutoff [Video]

DOWNTOWN BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Power proactively cut power to thousands of people Wednesday night in its first ever Public Safety Power Shutoff event. The program is intended to reduce the risk of power lines starting new wildfires in extreme weather conditions.

• 9,103 customers were impacted by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event.
• You can learn more about the Public Safety Power Shutoff program here.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)

“It was an intense experience,” says Sven Berg, a Communications Specialist with Idaho Power.

He tells me the company had crews working late into the night Wednesday as part of their Public Safety Power Shutoff event.

“It was our first in this company’s history, a lot of planning had gone into these. Of course not everything goes exactly the way you think it’s going to go,” says Berg.

The PSPS event left 9,103 customers without power in neighborhoods across Ada County.

Berg explained that because of …