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Wyoming Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff event update

🔺 April 23, 2026 9:30 a.m. MT – Forecasted weather conditions have improved to the point that we have cancelled today’s Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff WATCH for customers in Harriman and Curt Gowdy areas.  

“Safety remains our top priority,” said Wes Ashton, vice president of South Dakota and Wyoming Utilities. “The combination of high wind speeds and low relative humidity can lead to conditions which make it unsafe to operate the electric grid. While Emergency PSPS conditions have improved, wildfire risk persists in portions of the area. Customers are encouraged to keep safety top of mind and be prepared for the possibility of unplanned power outages.”

Learn more about Black Hills Energy’s Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff program at blackhillsenergy.com/psps.
  

🔺 April 23, 2026 7:30 a.m. MT – As dry and windy conditions continue throughout the area, Black Hills Energy continues its Public Safety Power Shutoff WATCH for customers in Harriman and Curt Gowdy areas. We will monitor weather conditions throughout the morning and ask customers under the PSPS WATCH declaration to prepare for the possibility of emergency power outages should conditions change.

We will notify impacted customers with a variety of methods including text messages and emails and through local media.  

For more information on Public Safety Power Shutoff and how to prepare for an emergency please visit our PSPS webpage.
 

🔺 April 22, 2026 9:30 p.m. MT – Black Hills Energy issues a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) WATCH date correction. The Black Hills Energy PSPS watch period began at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 22. An earlier release listed the effective WATCH date as beginning Thursday, April 23. We apologize for this error.    

We will continue to monitor weather conditions tonight and ask that customers under the PSPS Watch declaration prepare for the possibility of emergency power outages should conditions change.  

We will notify impacted customers with a variety of methods including text messages and emails and through local media. We will also provide updates on our PSPS webpage to help keep the public informed throughout the PSPS event. 

If a power line is proactively de-energized during an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff, we advise that the power will not be turned back on until conditions improve, crews have inspected power lines, and any necessary repairs are made. This process may result in outages lasting a few hours depending on the location and extent of any damage.
 

🔺 April 22, 2026 6:30 p.m. MT – We have extended the Public Safety Power Shutoff Watch this evening for customers in Harriman and Curt Gowdy areas due to ongoing high-risk fire weather conditions. We will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the night and asks that customers under the PSPS Watch declaration prepare for the possibility of emergency power outages should conditions change.

Black Hills Energy will notify impacted customers with a variety of methods including text messages and emails and through local media. We will also provide updates on our PSPS webpage to help keep the public informed throughout the PSPS event. 

If a power line is proactively de-energized during an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff, we advise that the power will not be turned back on until conditions improve, crews have inspected power lines, and any necessary repairs are made. This process may result in outages lasting a few hours depending on the location and extent of any damage.
  

🔺 April 22, 2026 10:00 a.m. MT – Due to high fire-risk conditions in Thursday’s forecast, we have declared an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Watch for the Harriman and Curt Gowdy areas, west of Cheyenne. The PSPS Watch will be in effect starting on Thursday, April 23 in the late morning and into evening hours. This means that if conditions persist, the company may need to temporarily shut off power to approximately 370 customers in these areas mid-day Thursday to mitigate the risk of electrical infrastructure becoming a source of wildfire ignition. Customers under the PSPS Watch declaration are urged to prepare for the possibility of emergency power outages needed to protect public safety and prevent wildfire. 

We will notify impacted customers with a variety of methods including text messages, phone calls, emails and through local media.
 

What happens before, during and after a PSPS?

  • PSPS Watch: We’ll issue a watch when conditions indicate a potential need for a shutoff.
  • PSPS Warning: A warning is issued when a shutoff is likely.
  • Power is off: Power is temporarily shut off in affected areas to reduce wildfire risk.
  • Restoration: Begins when conditions improve and it’s safe for crews to inspect equipment and make necessary repairs.
  • Power restored: Once it’s safe to restore service, we’ll notify customers that power has been turned back on.

How to stay informed

  • Customers can see if they’re in an impacted area at blackhillsenergy.com/outages.
  • We’ll continue to provide updates to this webpage and through media outlets. Customers are encouraged to make sure their contact information is up to date to receive phone calls, emails and text messages.

How you can prepare

  • Visit blackhillsenergy.com/my-account to keep your contact information up to date, so we can provide safety notifications and direct you to our website for helpful tips and resources.
  • Have a backup plan for medicine that needs to be refrigerated or medical equipment that is powered by electricity. This could mean finding a place to go during an outage or having a backup generator.  
  • Build an emergency kit and plan and share with friends and neighbors.
  • If you see downed powerlines, stay away and call 911.