Manager’s Message – August 2026
PrintOur First Public Safety Power Shutoff
You’ve heard me mention Public Safety Power Shutoffs before. My past three manager messages have discussed why a PSPS may be necessary during extreme wildfire conditions.
But hearing and reading about a PSPS is very different from experiencing one. We know that losing power, especially with limited notice, can create real hardship, stress and uncertainty for our members.
At Northern Lights, Inc., we take our wildfire mitigation responsibility seriously. You depend on us for reliable power and leadership in helping safeguard the communities we call home.
Together, we experienced our first PSPS. On Thursday, July 16, the Bonneville Power Administration—which supplies transmission power to Northern Lights—notified us that they planned to implement a PSPS.
Although Northern Lights was not the entity activating the PSPS, we were responsible for notifying and responding to our members.
Like you, we were concerned—and frustrated—by the short notice. It limited our ability to communicate in the timely and complete way we strive for, and we understand how upsetting that was. At the same time, we know BPA makes these decisions with careful consideration and only when necessary to reduce the risk of wildfire.
We understand that losing power can create serious challenges for families, businesses and those with medical or other critical needs. Unfortunately, when power is not delivered to our substations, we cannot deliver power to your homes and businesses.
During future extreme fire weather conditions, Northern Lights may also need to implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs as a last resort. We are prepared to shut off power in high-risk areas to help protect our communities. We take this responsibility seriously.
The buttons below provide links to pages where Red flag warnings and PSPS are explained in more detail. We also have links to a video explaining why PSPS is part of our wildfire mitigation efforts and tips for preparing for an outage, along with checklists for creating emergency plans, which are especially important for households with medical needs.
Many of you shared feedback about the PSPS and notification process. We appreciate your input and take it seriously. We read your comments, we see your concerns, and we will use your feedback to improve future communications and education.
Thank you for your patience, understanding and being the most important part of Northern Lights.
Sincerely,
Annie Terracciano
General Manager
