Power restored to State College area after thousands reported outages again
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A power outage affected 3,400 West Penn Power customers in Centre County Thursday morning.
- Crews have not identified what caused the outage.
- Power should return for most customers by late Thursday morning.
An outage briefly left thousands in Centre County without electricity Thursday morning.
As of roughly 8:45 a.m., nearly 3,400 West Penn Power customers in the State College area were without power. The outages were largely centered in the State College borough as well as some parts of Patton, Ferguson and College townships, according to the power company’s outage map.
Thursday’s outage started at approximately 7:22 a.m. when a squirrel came into contact with energized equipment at a power substation in State College. The incident caused the substation’s circuit breakers to open and “de-energize the facility and nearby power lines,” according to FirstEnergy spokesperson Todd Meyers.
The website listed restoration times around 11 a.m., but nearly all customers had power restored by 9 a.m., according to West Penn Power.
Thursday’s outage marks the latest notable service interruption for Centre County customers over the last few months. Tens of thousands were without power for days when a historic storm blew through the area in late April, while a blown transformer caused another outage on a sweltering June afternoon.
What to do if there’s a power outage
West Penn Power customers can report outages online or text “OUT” to 544487. Downed power lines should be reported by calling 1-888-544-4877.
If you experience an outage, keep these safety tips in mind until help arrives:
- Check circuits and fuses to make sure the power is out before reporting.
- Check with your neighbors to see if other homes in your area are affected.
- Keep refrigerators and freezers closed.
- Disconnect appliances and electronics.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 9:17 AM.
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