How do I report an outage?
If you are experiencing a power outage or if you notice tree limbs hanging on power lines, please contact us. You can report an outage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling us at (503) 472-6158.
- If you call outside of business hours, you will get a recording. Press ‘2’ to be connected to MW&L’s answering service.
- The answering service will forward your information to the appropriate crew for response.
- In large outages, we may not be able to respond to every call received, but McMinnville Water & Light’s top priority is restoring your power as quickly as possible.
Once you’ve reported an outage, you can:
- Check our Outage Map (above) to confirm the outage location(s). If it appears on the map, we are aware of it and are responding. You can view additional details during an outage by clicking on the red circle on the map.
- Look for updates on our social media accounts.
Please note: After-hours staffing is limited, so updates may take time. During the initial response, dispatchers and crews focus first on safety and assessment, which could take a couple of hours. We appreciate your patience during this period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Look for the red icon(s) in on the map above. Click on an icon and a box will pop up with more information about the outage in that area, including the estimated time the power will be restored.
The red icons with numbers in the middle indicate the number and general area of customers affected, not the actual outage address. Clicking on the red icon will give you more detailed information, including estimated restoration time, if known.
Houses on the same block may not be on the same power line. For example, during storms crews may be able to restore power on one line first but may have to wait to gain access to restore power on another line. We work as quickly as safety allows until everyone’s power is restored.
Your home may be served by a different substation, transformer, or line than your neighbor. Another reason could be that there may be damage at your home's electric service connection point, meter pole, service line, or other location on your property. Equipment on your house or business that is not owned by MW&L cannot be repaired by our crews.
This is the first thing everyone wants to know when their power goes out. But the answer usually isn't quick or easy. Keep in mind that each outage is different, and it takes time for crews to respond and figure out the problem -- and the solution -- and how long it will take to fix it. We update our website and social media with the answer as soon as we know it.
Anyone with necessary medical equipment should always have a contingency plan, including backup power, extra medical supplies, or an alternate location during an outage. MW&L cannot guarantee when electric service will be restored, or that certain accounts will be given priority over others.
Actually, approximately 50% of MW&L power lines are underground. To replace the remaining 50% would require MW&L to spend approximately $1 million per mile of the distribution system or between $150 million to $200 million in 2025 dollars, To bury the 11 miles of transmission lines we own would cost $50 million to $60 million. If we did this, it would drive rates up by at least 2 to 3 times what they currently are.
There are several reasons why power lines aren’t buried in more communities. (Data source is U.S. Department of Energy, “Undergrounding Transmission and Distribution Lines” report, 2024):
- Burying power lines is extremely expensive, roughly 3 to 10 times higher for new construction and 1.5 to 5 times higher for conversions.
- Outages tend to last longer with buried lines because it’s more difficult to locate the source of the outage and repair it.
- Underground lines also have generally shorter lifetimes than overhead, with estimates ranging from being 20-60% shorter (20-40 years compared to 30-50 years) for reasons including excessive heat buildup leading to degradation of cable insulating materials and susceptibility to moisture, which can result in corrosion.
- Underground lines can have environmental impacts and are susceptible to cable damage, particularly in earthquake-prone locations.
Read more of the U.S. Department of Energy report.
Restoring Your Power
When a major outage occurs, McMinnville Water & Light prioritizes repairs that will restore power to the largest number of customers first. Below are the steps we take during the restoration process.
1. Safety
Our first priority in any outage is to secure the scene to ensure the safety of anyone nearby or for our crews who are responding. After securing the scene, crews can then work on clearing any downed power lines and assessing the cause of the outage.
2. Critical Infrastructure
In a widespread outage, we will prioritize restoring power to locations that deliver essential services, such as hospitals, fire, police, or emergency services.
3. Transmission Lines and Substations
Transmission lines, if damaged, can disrupt power to thousands of customers. If the problem is occurring at a substation, fixing that issue can restore power to many neighborhoods at once.
4. Distribution Lines
We have dozens of “feeder” lines from each of our seven substations. If an outage is in one of these lines, fixing it can restore power to several hundred customers.
5. Tap Lines
Once power has been restored at the transmission, substation, and distribution level, crews will work on tap lines that extend from the feeder lines into individual neighborhoods. These generally serve a few dozen customers.
6. Individual Homes/Service Drops
Sometimes, an outage affects only one home or business. These are the last outages to be handled. In some cases, the outage is due to damage to customer-owned electric equipment, in which case, the owner will need to contact an electrician to fix prior to MW&L restoring service.