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UPDATED: Large power outage after reported substation fire

Large power outage in Pentagon City and Crystal City on Sept. 28, 2023 (via Dominion)

(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) More than 5,000 Dominion customers were in the dark this morning due to a large power outage.

Around 10:45 a.m. firefighters were dispatched to the power substation at the intersection of S. Fern Street and 18th Street S. for a report of a transformer explosion and fire.

Shortly before 11 a.m. firefighters on scene reported that they had put a small fire out and were awaiting the arrival of Dominion representatives.

The incident knocked out power to much of the Pentagon City and Crystal City area, prompting numerous calls for stuck elevators and tripped alarms.

As of publication the Dominion website was reporting 5,146 customers without power in Arlington. The power was fully restored, according to Dominion, by 12:30 p.m.

This is the second month in a row for a large power outage in this area. An underground cable failure along 15th Street S.  knocked out power to more than 10,000 Dominion customers on Aug. 22.

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Morning Poll: Should power lines be moved underground?

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After big storms, many of the same questions are asked: namely, why don’t we just bury power lines?

Surely the expense of constantly fixing power lines downed by falling trees, branches and the occasional crash — both in terms of the repairs themselves, lost productivity, etc. — cannot be far off from the cost of just moving them underground?

As our exploration of the topic last week found, however, it’s not quite that simple. It would cost tens of billions of dollars to bury lines across the state, and previous looks at the question specifically in Arlington also concluded that it’s infeasible from both a cost and a permissions perspective — getting everyone to agree to let the power company dig up their yards.

Instead, Dominion and local governments have been conducting more targeted undergroundings, along high-density corridors like Columbia Pike and in places where storm damage is more frequent. That has cut the power restoration time after big storms, a Dominion spokeswoman told us, but outages will remain a fact of life as long as there are storms and trees.

Of course, there are likely those that would argue that with climate change whipping up fiercer storms, burying more lines should be more seriously considered.

Where do you stand?

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Dominion Energy says burying power lines in Arlington complex and costly

Fallen power line caused by July 29 storm in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated on 8/18/23) After a late July tempest plunged roughly 35,000 Arlington residents into darkness, ARLnow posed a pressing question to Virginia’s largest electric utility: Why not move all power lines underground?

The short answer is red tape and price.

Local elected officials have been interested in burying power lines since the 1980s, as doing so can reduce power outages and restoration times after storm-induced outages. The trade-offs, however, include cost, customer buy-in and longer repair times.

Historically, cost has been the biggest deterrent. Virginia, Dominion and Arlington County have balked at spearheading efforts at their respective levels, citing costs. This has left the utility company and Arlington County to piece together a patchwork approach prioritizing vulnerable lines, willing property owners and deep-pocketed developers.

Whenever a storm blows through, however, causing power disruptions and requiring maintenance work, the question of a broader effort resurfaces.

In an interview, Dominion spokeswoman Peggy Fox underscored two obstacles.

First, the utility company needs permission from property owners, also known as an easement, to access their land. People do not always grant that permission because, Fox said, “not everybody wants the construction that goes along with it.”

“We can’t just come in and do what we want. These are people’s properties, and we want to work with them,” she said in a phone interview.

Second, burying power lines would cost billions of dollars.

After Hurricane Isabel devastated Virginia’s electrical grid in 2003, the Virginia General Assembly tasked the State Corporation Commission — which regulates utilities in Virginia — with studying the feasibility of relocating the state’s overhead distribution power lines underground.

The study says the project aimed to decrease weather-related utility interruptions, reduce maintenance costs and lessen “visual pollution.”

Elected officials scrapped the project after learning it could cost around $83 billion, to be borne by utility customers via higher taxes or rates, and could cause “significant disruptions.”

“The potential benefits, both to the utilities and to the economy, resulting from the elimination of tree trimming maintenance, vehicle accidents, post-storm restoration, and lost sales during outages, do not appear to be sufficient to offset the initial construction costs associated with a comprehensive program to relocate the currently existing overhead utility distribution lines to underground,” the report stated.

Fox said she cannot “pinpoint” how much it would cost to underground all overhead power lines in Arlington, let alone the state. Adjusted for inflation, $83 billion would be roughly $130 billion today.

Arlington County has also shied away from taking on this work over costs. In 2015, then-Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes said a local effort to bury electrical and telecommunication wires would cost billions of dollars the county did not have, the Sun Gazette reported at the time.

Nevertheless, Dominion and the county have taken steps to move underground several miles of power lines in Arlington.

In 2014, Dominion embarked on its Strategic Underground Plan (SUP) to bury 4,000 miles of vulnerable overhead lines throughout the state. So far, it has buried around 1,907 miles — nearly the halfway point.

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UPDATED: Power restored to most but GW Parkway to remain closed for several days

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(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) The herculean effort to clean up from Saturday’s storms and restore power to tens of thousands is continuing Monday morning.

The GW Parkway remains closed to most traffic between Spout Run Parkway and the Beltway — and is expected to remain closed until later this week, as crews work to clear a large number of downed trees and branches.

The southbound lanes of Spout Run Parkway, where at least one car was damaged by a fallen tree Saturday, also remain closed.

From a press release issued Monday afternoon:

The George Washington Memorial Parkway is currently experiencing closures due to the aftermath of Saturday’s storm. Crews are diligently working to clear fallen trees from the roadway, and these closures are expected to last for the next few days.

To enhance and expedite the restoration process, George Washington Memorial Parkway has deployed a total of five crews, including its own team, assistance from the National Capital Parks-East (NACE), and three additional emergency contracting crews.

The North Parkway, from Spout Run Parkway to I-495, remains closed, except for the northbound lanes from Route 123 to I-495. Additionally, the southbound lanes of the Spout Run Parkway are also closed.

These closures are necessary to ensure the removal of hazardous trees, including those that have fallen across the roadway and broken limbs that pose a risk to travel lanes. The recovery work is estimated to be completed within three to four days.

Round-the-clock power restoration work whittled down the peak of more than 34,000 without electricity in Arlington — half that of the 2012 derecho — to 3,154 as of 11:15 a.m. Monday, according to Dominion’s website.

The remaining small outages are scattered throughout the county, though most are concentrated in north-central Arlington — between Route 50 and Langston Blvd — including the Orange Line corridor, which was particularly hard hit.

Throughout Northern Virginia, 4,732 Dominion customers remained in the dark this morning, according to the power company. Crews have been working long shifts and overnight to restore power, with much of that effort happening in Arlington.

As of 4 p.m., the outages were down to 2,029 in Arlington and 2,338 throughout Northern Virginia.

More storm stories are emerging as the cleanup continues.

In Courthouse, a heavy metal table was blown off a condo patio during the storm’s intense winds and is now stuck high in a tree, above a sidewalk.

“The tree is right across the street from the entrance of the Palatine apartment building,” a tipster told ARLnow on Sunday. By Monday morning, however, the table had been removed by a tree maintenance crew, the tipster said.

Trees came down throughout Arlington, taking down utility lines, blocking roads, and in at least eight known cases falling onto houses. One unlucky family was on their way to Walt Disney World in Orlando when a huge tree smashed into their stately brick house near Lacey Woods Park, we’re told.

For those on the go, it’s not just drivers who have to deal with fallen trees and other debris. A trail cleanup is planned for 5:30 p.m. today on the Mount Vernon Trail near Rosslyn, which “got hit particularly hard,” according to a social media post.

Additionally, numerous trees are reported to be down on the Custis Trail and at least one park is closed due to storm damage.

“Rocky Run Park is closed for maintenance due to damages caused by the July 29 storms,” said Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation. “Please do not go onto the park grounds.”

Arlington National Cemetery, meanwhile, is also closed today except for funerals amid widespread tree damage at the nation’s most hallowed ground.

More storm damage photos from social media, below.

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UPDATED: Large power outage affecting Ballston, neighborhoods along Wilson Blvd

Power outage map on 7/1/23 (via Dominion)

Update at 2:35 p.m. — About 500 customers remain without power in Arlington. A Dominion spokeswoman says the outage was caused by an “unrelated tree contractor [dropping] a tree on our wire.”

Earlier: Nearly 4,600 Dominion customers are in the dark as a result of a widespread power outage Saturday morning.

It’s unclear what caused the outage, which stretches from Ballston to Bluemont to Boulevard Manor to Dominion Hills along the Wilson Blvd corridor, according to Dominion’s outage map and emailed tips to ARLnow.

As of publication time, Dominion is estimating that power will be restored between 1-4 p.m.

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Parking dispute leads to gun brandishing along Wilson Blvd

Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

An early morning dispute over parking led to a gun being brandished and a car being stolen.

That’s according to today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

The incident happened on the 6100 block of Wilson Blvd, in the Dominion Hills area, a bit after midnight. From ACPD:

BRANDISHING, 2023-04060006, 6100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 12:24 a.m. on April 6, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was in his vehicle when the suspect vehicle prevented him from pulling into a parking spot. The driver and passenger of the suspect vehicle exited the vehicle and became involved in a verbal dispute with the victim, during which the driver made threatening statements towards the victim and the passenger brandished a firearm. The victim exited his vehicle and left the area on foot. No injuries were reported. Upon returning, the victim discovered his vehicle, containing his wallet and undisclosed amount of cash, was stolen. Officers canvassed the area and recovered the stolen vehicle nearby.

“The investigation is ongoing,” ACPD said.

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JUST IN: More than 3,500 without power in Arlington as winds continue to whip

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Strong wind gusts have brought down trees and knocked out power in parts of Arlington tonight.

More than 3,500 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington as of 10:45 p.m. The power company’s outage map shows sizable outages in the following local areas:

  • Long Branch Creek, including the intersection of S. Glebe Road and S. Arlington Ridge Road
  • Glebewood and Waverly Hills, along N. Glebe Road just south of Langston Blvd, where ARLnow observed power crews and a tree down
  • Old Glebe, Chain Bridge Forest and Rivercrest in far northern Arlington, along the N. Glebe Road corridor

There were also smaller outages in the Dominion Hills and Bluemont neighborhoods. Estimates of when the power would be back on were not available on Dominion’s website.

The outages come amid wind gusts of up to 60 mph in the D.C. metro area, which is under a High Wind Warning. National Airport recorded a 60 mph gust around 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Damaging winds are expected to continue through about midnight, forecasters said.

Throughout Northern Virginia, Dominion reported more than 43,000 customers without power.

https://twitter.com/PeggyDomEnergy/status/1642354836413767680

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JUST IN: Multiple power outages in Arlington as winds ramp up

Power outage in Arlington as of 10 a.m. (via Dominion)

Update at 3:05 p.m. — Numerous small, scattered outages have been reported around Arlington. The number of Dominion customers in the dark is now down to just over 800, with the larger earlier outage since largely resolved.

Earlier: Today’s frigid wind storm is just getting underway — complete with a recent bout of snow flurries — but many are already without power in Arlington.

As of 10 a.m., more than 1,500 Dominion customers are in the cold, according to the power company’s website.

The following outages were reported on Dominion’s map.

  • 718 customers, in Penrose and Lyon Park
  • 715 customers, between Ballston and Westover
  • 114 customers, in Glebewood
  • At least two smaller outages in Bellevue Forest and Ashton Heights

The Penrose outage has closed Arlington’s Dept. of Human Services offices at Sequoia Plaza, the county announced this morning.

“Dominion Energy continues to closely monitor the extremely cold, windy weather and its potential to impact our Virginia and North Carolina service territory,” the company said in a statement today. “Our crews are positioned and ready to respond to any damage or power outages that may be caused as a result of the ice storm.”

“If you experience a power outage, please make sure you report it to Dominion Energy immediately,” the company added. “Please stay at least 30 feet away from all downed wires and damaged equipment. If you need to report an emergency or a downed wire, please call us at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357)… We appreciate your patience.”

The county is under both a Wind Advisory and a Wind Chill Advisory today. More outages are possible throughout the day, with 50 mph wind gusts expected.

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County compensates Long Bridge contractor $1.2M for delays caused by Dominion

The Long Bridge Park Aquatics & Fitness Center (staff photo)

Arlington County is paying the contractor who built the Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center an extra $1.2 million to make up for project delays.

Despite this overage, the entire project is expected to come in at least $2 million under its overall budget.

It’s a high note to end on for the controversial project, which nearly a decade ago was put on hold after bids well exceeded the original $79.2 million budget, forcing the county to downsize its original plans.

The Arlington County Board approved the $1.2 million payment to the contractor on Saturday.

A report explaining the payment blames Dominion Energy for the delays. Dominion which was supposed to provide permanent power to the new facility by the fall of 2020, but final electrical power was not complete until July 2021.

“This delay hampered completion of critical elements” of the project, the said. “While the County generously granted additional time to the Contractor, the Contractor incurred additional costs due to the significant extension of the contract completion period and the extended general condition costs for the Contractor’s on-site construction staff.”

If the facility had gotten power on time, the county says, the $70.7 million project would have been completed months earlier and within the $5.3 million contingency budget originally approved.

Instead, the overages cost $1.8 million, wiping out the $602,000 that remained in contingencies, thus requiring the extra appropriation.

The Arlington County Board awarded a $60 million contract to design and build the facility to Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc. in November 2017. The contractor and county staff began working with Dominion Energy before construction started to ensure that electrical power could be supplied to the site when needed.

“Permanent electrical power could have been supplied to the site as early as Spring 2019 had work gone according to plan,” the report says. “Dominion received construction permits for electrical work within the right-of-way of Long Bridge Drive in Fall 2020. Work was not begun, and the permit expired. Another permit was issued to Dominion, and this also expired due to inactivity.”

By March 2021, the facility and park had permanent power, but a transformer had to be replaced in July. The facility opened on Aug. 23, 2021 and was closed for emergency electrical repairs in April.

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Two Arlington nonprofits providing medical access to unhoused locals get grants from Dominion

Nonprofit PathForward in Courthouse (photo courtesy of PathForward)

Dominion Energy is providing grants to two Arlington nonprofits to help increase medical access to the county’s most vulnerable.

The power company announced last night (Oct. 11) that its charitable foundation is providing $7,500 to PathForward for its “Mobile Medical Program” program and $5,000 to Arlington Free Clinic for medications and vaccinations.

These grants are part of the $1.2 million that Dominion is providing to 185 other non-profits in eight states, including $450,000 to 68 organizations in Virginia, through its charitable foundation.

Arlington Free Clinic is located just off Columbia Pike and provides free health care to low-income residents. The grant from Dominion is set to help offset costs for needed prescription medications and vaccinations.

“One of Arlington Free Clinic’s most important services is to provide access to prescription medications and vaccinations our patients need to get healthy and stay healthy,” CEO Nancy White told ARLnow in an email. “Support from Dominion Energy helps ensure that this vital program will continue.”

Courthouse-based PathForward is a nonprofit organization that helps people who are unhoused get the help they need, including finding a home. In July 2021, the organization — which operates the county-funded homeless shelter across from the county courthouse — changed its name from A-SPAN.

The nonprofit’s “Mobile Medical Program” was started about a year ago and its aim is to provide medical and social work services to people who are experiencing homelessness.

“We act as a scout and go out and talk to them. First, we gain their trust and, then, we help with food security, medical needs, and mental health,” PathForward CEO Betsy Frantz told ARLnow.

This often requires two people, a nurse and a social worker, with a backpack full of supplies, like bandages, food, and a blood pressure monitor. The two do a medical check-up and observe behaviors while also offering support and next steps.

“The program doesn’t require a million dollars. It just needs skilled professionals to show up,” Frantz said.

The $7,500 grant from Dominion Energy will go towards providing these services as well as filling the backpacks with supplies. Other organizations and private donors have also given money to the program.

The power company told ARLnow that it was proud to support the two Arlington nonprofits.

“It’s heartbreaking to see people experiencing homelessness and to not know the best way to help. PathForward’s Mobile Medical Program is an innovative strategy to help our unsheltered neighbors by providing basic human needs with compassion and dignity,” Dominion Energy spokesperson Peggy Fox wrote.

“We are grateful to Pathforward for developing this program and to Arlington Free Clinic for its continued service to underserved communities,” Fox added. “Dominion Energy is proud to support Pathforward and Arlington Free Clinic and we applaud the positive impact they are bringing to people’s lives.”

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UPDATED: Large power outage reported in Clarendon area

Clarendon and Lyon Park power outage (via Dominion)

Update at 3:20 p.m. — The number of outages is down to just over 600, according to Dominion. Police are in the process of removing cones from intersections with traffic signals that are working again.

Earlier: More than 3,500 homes and businesses are currently without power in Arlington due to a reported transformer fire.

The outage is centered around the Clarendon and Lyon Park neighborhoods. Initial reports suggest that a tree fell on power lines somewhere in the area and sparked the transformer fire that is causing the large outage.

Traffic signals are said to be dark at numerous busy intersections. Police are responding to assist with traffic control.

Another several hundred Dominion customers were initially reported to be in the dark around Courthouse, though power is back on in most of the neighborhood.

One office worker in Courthouse described experiencing 3-4 power surges that “went through the building like a wind blowing… about 2 minutes from start to finish.”

In addition to calls about non-functioning traffic lights, police and fire radio channels have been busy with reports of smoke coming from sidewalk grates — a normal occurrence in commercial areas during outages, caused by diesel generators starting up.

As of 2 p.m., Dominion’s website estimates a timeframe of between 5-8 p.m. for restoration of power.

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