Beaver County reports widespread outages; courthouse generator failed during storm response

County staff reported extensive power outages across Beaver County after an evening storm and described a temporary failure of the courthouse emergency generator that required overnight repairs.

Eric, a county staff member, said the county “had 511 calls for assistance” during the storm and that “currently, there's about 16,000 about power in Beaver County.” He said the county prioritized critical facilities such as the jail and hospitals. Eric also noted ongoing local impacts including traffic lights out in Vanport and damage in areas around Brandon Beamer.

Director Drew and county maintenance staff said the courthouse generators started as designed when utility power failed. County maintenance reported the generators will run about 12 hours on a full tank of fuel. A generator fault later in the night produced an electrical-panel error; mechanics found the engine and oil pressure functioning but determined the failure originated in the electrical panel. A contracted technician arrived early the next morning and restored the generator.

County staff said they will follow up with Penn Power and Duquesne Light to investigate the cause of the generator outage and to ensure critical county facilities are listed for priority restoration. Staff also proposed installing a dedicated external plug so a portable generator can be connected quickly in future outages; that plan will require coordination with county electricians.

Officials asked that when county critical infrastructure loses power, staff notify Eric so the county can inform Duquesne Light and other utilities to prioritize response. No formal action or vote was recorded during the work session on the generator repairs or on procurement of additional modifications.

The department head report closed with staff saying the courthouse is currently operating on utility power and that the generator is functioning after the overnight repair.