On July 15, Pepco experienced multiple equipment failures that placed significant strain on our electric system in the Dupont Circle and West End areas. As a result, some customers in the area experienced multiple emergent outages in July.

Repairs Complete

As of August 13, we have completed permanent repairs to both damaged power cables (also known as feeders) that were impacted by this event.  All feeders that support the substation are now back in service, and the substation has returned to normal operations.

We understand the impact this event and associated outages had on our customers and the broader community and appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as crews completed all repairs.

This complex and time-consuming restoration involved replacing 6,100 feet of underground cables and completing eight cable splices, a highly complex process that joins cables together. These repairs also allowed us to power up a new transformer that was previously installed at the substation, enhancing its overall capacity to handle more customer demand in the area and providing additional resiliency.

Substations are critical for reliable energy service, as they reduce high-voltage electricity from transmission lines to lower voltages for safe distribution to homes and businesses. Think of them like a water treatment plant: just as water needs to be cleaned and pressure-adjusted before reaching your faucet, electricity needs to be adjusted in voltage and direction before it reaches your light switch.

This work and other ongoing efforts to upgrade and modernize the local energy grid will help support continued safe and reliable service for our customers and communities.

Thank you again to our customers and the community for your patience as we completed this work, and thank you to our crews who worked around the clock to finalize all permanent repairs related to this event.