September's Power Disruptions Wildfire Shutoffs, Hurricane Recovery, Refinery Outage, and Squirrel-Caused Blackouts

The second and third weeks of September brought a diverse array of power disruptions across the United States, from wildfire-prevention shutoffs in Northern California to Hurricane Lowell's devastating aftermath in Hawaii, a refinery outage in Illinois, and two separate incidents in Colorado caused by an unusually persistent squirrel.

Northern California: PG&E Initiates Public Safety Power Shutoffs

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) began implementing Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) across multiple Northern California counties starting at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, due to elevated wildfire risk. The shutoffs were prompted by strong westerly winds that could rapidly spread wildfires.

The initial outages affected approximately 300 customers in Nevada County and about 1,000 in Placer County. Additional shutoffs were subsequently reported in Colusa, El Dorado, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, and Yolo counties. PG&E said that depending on weather patterns, the shutoffs could ultimately affect approximately 14,000 customers across 12 counties and four tribal areas in the Northern Sierra and Sacramento Valley regions, potentially extending through Monday.

Forecasters expected wind gusts of 35 to 50 mph in parts of the Northern Sierra on Saturday, shifting to northerly winds in the Sacramento Valley on Sunday. The duration and scope of the shutoffs depended on local weather conditions and any necessary repairs.

Hawaii: Hurricane Lowell's Aftermath Leaves Kauai Devastated

Hurricane Lowell, which struck Hawaii with winds of approximately 177 km/h, has left at least two people dead and caused catastrophic damage, particularly on Kauai. A 74-year-old man was found dead near Kauai's south shore, while another man on Oahu was killed when a tree fell on his tent.

Kauai was the hardest-hit island, with approximately 33,000 households — nearly the entire island — losing power. Local officials described it as one of the most destructive storms since 1992. Multiple beachfront resorts were flooded, walls collapsed, coastal roads were twisted and broken, and furniture and debris were washed into hotel lobbies. Roads were destroyed, and the storm triggered flooding and mudslides.

Kauai's main airport was operating on a single backup generator after its second generator was damaged, reducing security screening to one lane and causing long lines and significant flight delays.

On Lanai, the main harbor was rendered unusable due to pier damage, and a sinkhole appeared, with multiple containers falling into the water. Approximately 3,000 residents depend on the harbor, and authorities were exploring alternative means of delivering emergency aid.

Hawaii's governor has requested that President Trump declare a state of emergency to expedite federal assistance. More than 300 National Guard members were deployed to assist with recovery efforts. Officials urged tourists to postpone travel to Kauai.

Illinois: Power Failure Shuts Down ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery

At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, a power interruption at ExxonMobil's Joliet refinery in Illinois triggered safety systems and forced a full plant shutdown. Power was restored at approximately 7 p.m., but the refinery remained offline as units were stabilized.

The refinery has a processing capacity of approximately 264,000 barrels per day and can produce nearly 11 million gallons of gasoline and diesel daily, primarily supplying the U.S. Midwest market. The power outage caused the safety flare system to activate, a normal safety response for controlled processing of hydrocarbons and gases under abnormal conditions.

Although the power interruption lasted only about three and a half hours, the refinery could not immediately resume production after power was restored. Units must be gradually stabilized, equipment conditions checked, auxiliary services restored, and feedstocks gradually reintroduced. IIR Energy estimated that operations could return to normal by the weekend. The facility experienced another power interruption in 2024 that left multiple units offline for days. This incident underscores modern refineries' heavy reliance on power reliability, where electricity is not merely an auxiliary service but a critical variable for maintaining process operations. At the time of the outage, the U.S. average diesel price had exceeded $6 per gallon, and Chicago gasoline prices began rising during the refinery's shutdown.

Colorado: Squirrels Cause Repeat Power Outages in Castle Rock

Residents of Castle Rock, Colorado experienced two consecutive power outages on September 15 and 16, caused not by severe weather or aging equipment, but by squirrels.

The first incident occurred on Tuesday, September 15, when a squirrel breached CORE Electric Cooperative's substation defenses and made contact with electrical equipment. The squirrel was electrocuted, the system faulted, and approximately 4,400 customers lost power. Technicians took more than two hours to restore service. Shortly after the first fault was repaired, a second squirrel entered the same substation on Wednesday, September 16, and damaged distribution equipment, cutting power to approximately 1,300 customers for about 40 minutes.

Cindy Newsome, CORE's director of communications and strategy, said the vast majority of equipment at the substation is covered and protected, but "there's nothing that will stop an animal that wants to get in." Newsome also noted that wildlife causes approximately 5% to 10% of outages on CORE's grid each year. "Last summer it seemed to be birds, and this year it's squirrels and other rodents that seem to be causing trouble," she said. Yi Joon Lee of the American Public Power Association confirmed that squirrels are among the leading causes of power outages each year, climbing poles and seeking shelter in transformers, potentially causing faults that affect large numbers of customers.

Virginia: Transformer Fire Knocks Out Power to Hundreds

On Friday, September 18, a transformer fire in western Albemarle County, Virginia left hundreds without power. According to Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, more than 400 members in the White Hall substation service area were without power as of 12:30 p.m. The outage area was located between Ivy and Crozet. Crews were on site replacing the transformer, and it was unclear how long restoration would take.

Washington: Avista Conducts Planned Outage in Colfax

Avista Utilities carried out a planned power outage in Colfax and surrounding areas from 10 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, to 6 a.m. on Friday, September 18, to perform substation maintenance and upgrades. Approximately 2,024 customers were affected. All affected customers received advance notification. Avista stated that these updates are part of its ongoing work to improve infrastructure safety and reliability.

North Carolina: Underground Line Fault Closes Schools Early

On Wednesday, September 16, three schools in the Leesville Road area of Wake County, North Carolina, were forced to dismiss early due to a power interruption that disrupted phone and internet services. According to Duke Energy, an equipment fault on underground power lines near Leesville Road caused the outage, affecting Leesville Road Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. Wake County school officials said the three campuses serve more than 3,000 students. Duke Energy said power was restored between 10 and 11 a.m., but the outage disrupted school operations, and the district notified parents that early dismissal would begin at 11:15 a.m. Duke Energy was unable to provide a specific number of affected customers or the specific cause of the equipment failure.

Iowa: Substation Transformer Failure Cuts Power in Sioux City

On the morning of Tuesday, September 15, a large-scale power outage struck Sioux City, Iowa. MidAmerican Energy's outage map showed approximately 2,947 customers without power in the Sioux City metro area. MidAmerican told KCAU 9 that the outage was caused by a substation transformer failure. The Sioux City Community School District said MidAmerican estimated power would be restored by 12:45 p.m. Classes at Irving, Hunt, and Unity schools continued as normal but would have been dismissed early if the outage lasted longer than expected. By 12:08 p.m., the outage map showed most of Sioux City's power had been restored.

Grid Alerts: PG&E PSPS Warning Issued

Beyond the actual outages, PG&E issued a Public Safety Power Shutoff warning on September 9. The Sierra County Sheriff's Office notified residents that PG&E might implement a PSPS in parts of western Sierra County on September 12-13. Downtown Downieville was expected to be unaffected, but surrounding communities could be impacted. Residents were advised to prepare for possible extended outages, including charging electronic devices, preparing generators and backup power sources, ensuring adequate fuel, and making arrangements for medical devices that depend on electricity.

A Month of Diverse Threats

From wildfire-prevention shutoffs and hurricane recovery to refinery outages and squirrel-caused blackouts, September's power disruptions illustrate the many and varied threats facing America's grid. Whether the cause is extreme weather, equipment failure, or unexpected wildlife encounters, the need for reliable backup power has never been clearer. Explore Kingboss backup power solutions to keep your essential appliances and devices running when the grid goes down.

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