
Electric Outage: 1-844-484-2300
Water Emergency: 541-685-7595
EWEB Main: 541-685-7000
The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) is expanding its capacity to provide water to customers in case of an emergency.
Find Out MoreTo maintain the reliability customers have come to know and trust, EWEB must address an aging infrastructure bubble.
Find Out MoreGreenpower Grants, a program funded by voluntary Greenpower customer subscriptions is currently accepting applications. The grant will fund a high-impact project that increase the use of renewable energy sources, the adoption of emerging technologies, clean energy education and reduce or offset our community's carbon footprint.
Find Out MoreFor the past year, EWEB’s electric division has been preparing for a complete reconstruction of the Currin substation. Quite simply, it’s reached the end of its useful life.
Find Out MoreWith cold and icy weather forecasted for the next several days, we want to share some tips on how to heat your home while still conserving energy. We also have tips on how to stay warm if there is a power outage at your home.
Find Out MoreEWEB has awarded nearly $125,000 in grant funds to local organizations that promote electric mobility and reduce community carbon emissions.
Find Out MoreIn January, our elected Board of Commissioners approved an agreement for EWEB to make an unprecedented bulk purchase of substation transformers.
Find Out MoreAn EWEB-supported program provides firewood for people affected by the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire. The McKenzie Firewood program was developed by Pure Water Partners (PWP) in 2021.
Find Out MoreAt EWEB, we do what we can to help others in need. That’s been the reality for several of our electric and water crews over the past few weeks as we’ve responded to mutual aid requests for storm response and drinking water restoration, locally, and out of state.
Find Out MoreDespite an ice storm and a few windstorms in Eugene and the McKenzie Valley in the past few weeks, EWEB has so far fended off widespread weather-caused power outages – largely because of investments in year-round system maintenance and infrastructure improvements.
Find Out MoreEWEB makes electric mobility available to anyhone though e-bike rebates, car sharing and grants for local organizations with electric mobility projects.
Find Out MoreEnergy Efficiency tips to help you reduce your energy usage for National Cut your Energy Costs Day
Find Out MoreCommissioners unanimously voted to approve a Record of Decision endorsing the General Manager's Recommendation to decommission the Leaburg Hydroelectric Project and approved Resolution 2302 directing the GM to develop a Leaburg Hydroelectric Project Decommissioning Action Plan
Find Out MoreIn response to a call for aid this week, EWEB’s water division jumped into action to assist the town of Mapleton after a leak in their water system left about 260 homes without running water.
Find Out MoreWe all know LEDs use less energy, but what does that mean for your holiday budget in real dollars?
Find Out MoreNovember 10, 2022
For EWEB, preparing for harsh winter storms is a year-round responsibility. While we can’t control the weather, we can make our electric infrastructure more resilient to withstand storms that bring snow, ice and wind to Eugene.
EWEB employs a full toolbox of "grid hardening" strategies, including trimming trees around power lines, replacing older equipment on a regular basis, inspecting equipment for potential problems, and practicing for widespread power outages.
Below are just a few examples of the work EWEB’s electric division does to prepare for winter weather:
Outage Response
If a widespread outage occurs, every employee at EWEB plays a role in response and restoration. From the line workers in the field to customer service agents on the phone, our staff’s ability to react and respond promptly, efficiently, and safely to a winter related emergency is crucial.
EWEB employees prepare and train for winter-related outages year-round, including practice drills that help identify gaps, develop skills, reveal resource needs, and improve internal and external coordination.
The "Blue Sky Drill" is an annual practice ahead of winter storm season. Just as we would in a real emergency event, staff activate a standardized approach to incident management during a mock winter storm scenario. Roles and teams are established for safety, planning, operations, logistics, interagency coordination, and public communication. Each team works simultaneously to coordinate and resolve issues that arise during emergency response. It enables staff to test their skills and practice working together across all departments to handle a large-scale outage restoration.
Inspection and replacement of equipment
One of our grid hardening measures during the summer months is the inspection and replacement of power pole crossarms. During high wind events, the failure of a crossarm could bring down energized power lines and potentially spark a fire. To help reduce that risk our line technician crews identify and replace older or deteriorating crossarms. We also conduct routine system maintenance to keep other electric infrastructure functioning safely and properly throughout the year. Crews regularly inspect electric lines, poles, components, and other equipment, replacing worn or older parts as needed. This work helps keep the system operating during snow, ice, and windstorms.
Vegetation Management
Winter storms and high winds can bring down distressed trees and branches on power lines that’s why we proactively prune trees and remove brush year-round to help keep the area around our equipment clear. Each year, crews trim more than 300 overhead line miles of vegetation to minimize falling trees and branches to decrease the number and duration of outages.
Electrical Vault Maintenance
Have you ever wondered where the power lines are in downtown Eugene? We have a unique underground electrical network that runs downtown. Each vault is connected to others in the underground system through ducts that run high-voltage cables between transformers.
The infrastructure is highly reliable, but EWEB crews do need to clean the vaults after the fall rainwater carries leaves and debris into the man-hole access points. Before the winter cold hits, EWEB routinely pumps out the debris using vacuum trucks and simultaneously assesses the underground cables with infrared guns that detect temperature variances which may indicate a need for repair.
Fleet Preparation
Our best practices for winter preparation occur throughout the year with a goal of increasing vehicle and equipment uptime in the winter. We winterize our vehicles and prepare our drivers and crews for winter safety. EWEB safety professionals help our crews prepare for winter conditions by providing information about safe driving practices during winter months, additional supplies to be stored in vehicles, such as water, in case they get stuck in the elements, and personal clothing suited to handle inclement weather.
EWEB has prepared our electric infrastructure and staff for whatever this winter’s weather has in store, but we need your help to prepare your home and family for a winter-related emergency.
View the following pages as you prepare for the winter ahead:
Para asistencia en español llame al 541-685-7000, presione 9
Mailing Address: 4200 Roosevelt Blvd., Eugene, OR 97402
Phone: 541-685-7000
Toll free: 800-841-5871
Email: eweb.answers@eweb.org
Customer service phone hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday