
Be Prepared - Power Outages
A power outage is a temporary or prolonged loss of electricity, occurring as localized disruptions, brownouts or blackouts. Outages can be sudden or scheduled for repairs, affecting a single property or an entire community. In Alberta, hazards like high winds, freezing rain, flooding, and extreme temperatures can damage power lines and strain the power supply.
Types of outages
• Localized disruption: a loss of electrical service that might affect a single home, community, or specific area.
• Rotating outage: scheduled in 20- to 30-minute increments and occurring simultaneously across the province. These temporary outages are used as a last resort to manage demand and maintain system reliability during tight supply and emergency operating conditions. Services such as hospitals, police and fire are excluded.
• Blackout: a sudden, widespread loss of power that can last from minutes to days, often caused by severe weather, cascading electrical equipment outages, or human error. It affects entire regions or cities, disrupting households, businesses, and public services.
Visit the link to see what you can do before, during and after a power outage: Power outages fact sheet