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By Drew Lawson
The Record-Times 

Power outages worry local businesses

Avista plans to feed Davenport from Reardan substation

 

Last updated 3/18/2022 at 11:16am

Drew Lawson | The Record-Times

The Avista substation regulator, seen here after igniting and causing a power outage in Davenport Jan. 2, is expected to be replaced by next summer. Local business owners are concerned about the effects of another potential outage before then.

DAVENPORT-Two city-wide power outages stemming from incidents at the Avista substation on Third Street this year have some local business owners concerned about the services their businesses rely on to operate. Avista, meanwhile, plans to construct a new substation and feed north Davenport from Reardan.

The first power outage came on Jan. 2, when the whole city lost power for 10 hours after the substation regulator caught fire in an impressive blast that changed many locals' plans for a cold winter Sunday. A second brown-out overnight outage occurred March 4, delaying school two hours and creating more problems for local businesses. The outages particularly affected businesses relying on computer systems for transactions.

"I had to shut the servers down so they (wouldn't) crash," Davenport Auto Parts general manager Tim Hosking said. "It took two hours before they came back on...There was no way for me to look up parts, can't invoice or anything."


"It sure can be a mess," he added. "It is a concern."

Grocery stores were also affected. Davenport Family Foods is still feeling the effects of the outage nearly two weeks later.

"Our front doors are still malfunctioning, for example," owner Kevin Hansen said. "Our defrost unit came on (but) didn't go off...brownouts can be very dangerous and are death on (computer) systems."


It took Family Foods staff three hours to reboot their computers after the second outage.

Safeway staff declined to comment while citing company policies, but the store was also affected by both outages.

Avista believes the second outage was caused by an animal, according to communications manager David Vowels.

"Possibly a bird that came into contact with our equipment resulting in a power outage," Vowels wrote in an email.

Vowels and Davenport District manager Jan Hutstead said the company has begun the process of replacing the substation. Hutstead said that is supposed to begin in August, but he is hoping to move it to June.

"The approximate completion date is mid-year 2023," Vowels said.

In the meantime, Vowels said Avista plans to feed the north end of the city from Avista's substation in Reardan. He said work on this project has begun and will be completed in "the coming months."

The Hansens acknowledged that power outages often come from causes uncontrollable by Avista or other power companies, but are also worried about the possibility of a third outage before a new substation is constructed here.

"Another one could fry a generator," Sherill Hansen said.

"We lost a whole day's business," Kevin Hansen added. "You also have to factor in the stress, which is unbelievable."

Author Bio

Drew Lawson, Editor

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Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.

 

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