Frustration boiled over Thursday night in Madras as residents from across Jefferson County confronted Pacific Power officials at a community town hall over what many describe as excessive and unacceptable power outages this summer.
The meeting drew attendees from throughout the area, with particularly vocal representation from the Metolius community, where residents say outages have been especially frequent and prolonged.
Medical Equipment, Lost Business, and Daily Life Disrupted
Speaker after speaker took the microphone to share how the outages had upended their lives. One man told Pacific Power representatives he had experienced a 14-hour outage — one that left him without functioning medical equipment.
“Without my medical equipment, I am worthless for the next three days,” he told the crowd.
The owner of Charlie’s Pizza said the business has lost power 12 separate times, a frequency the owner says is causing real financial harm. For small businesses already operating on thin margins, every outage means lost product, interrupted service, and frustrated customers.
Residents said they came to the meeting seeking specific answers: why are outages happening so often, and why does it take so long for power to be restored?
Pacific Power Cites Wildfire Safety Protocols
Pacific Power regional business manager Alisa Dunlap explained that the utility automatically de-energizes lines when something falls on them or when sensors detect a potential issue. The practice, she said, is driven by wildfire prevention — a policy that has become standard across Western utilities as fire seasons grow more severe.
“We absolutely want to make sure that people are informed as to why we have seasonal operational practices, and the primary reason is for safety of the community,” Dunlap said.
Jefferson County Fire and EMS has separately urged residents who depend on home oxygen or other powered medical devices to develop backup plans in case of extended outages tied to wildfire activity.
Questions Remain
For many attendees, the town hall offered some clarity but fell short of providing solutions.
“I think it did answer some questions. It opened up my eyes to other people’s suffering, especially Metolius. It was very bad,” said Madras resident Donna McKee.
It remains to be seen whether Thursday’s forum will lead to any concrete changes in how Pacific Power manages outages in Jefferson County. Residents and county leaders may push for more direct accountability measures as the summer fire season — and with it, more planned outages — continues.