Electricity fails Clarksville on coldest day since 1965

At approximately 8:25 a.m. the City of Clarksville lost electrical power.  With temperatures in the negative 30s and 40s with wind chills, residents’ and businesses’ heat supply was slowing dropping on the coldest day since 1965. Though the power came back twice for a minute or two, 690 households were without power for approximately four hours.

MidAmerican Energy slowly turned electricity back on to avoid an overflow.

According to their spokesperson, Abby Bottenfield, an open breaker in a substation caused the electric failure. MidAmerican Energy had numerous trucks spanning town to find where repair was needed.

At 1:20 p.m., 205 houses still were without energy but expected to get it within 30 minutes.

“We’re working on it now,” Bottenfield said. “This [open breaker] happens when we’re trying to switch loads.”

Weather was not a factor in the cause.