A massive incident of Wyoming power outages hit central and northeast Wyoming on Thursday, leaving tens of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity. The outage spanned counties including Natrona, Campbell, Sheridan and Converse as well as reaching into neighbouring states. Utilities such as Rocky Mountain Power and Powder River Energy Corp are responding, while officials investigate transmission-line failures and a fire at the Dave Johnston Power Plant. The full scale of the grid disruption and restoration timeline remains under review.
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Wyoming power outages hit tens of thousands in massive blackout across the region
A sweeping series of Wyoming power outages struck central and northeast Wyoming on Thursday afternoon, affecting thousands of customers and spreading across state lines into South Dakota and Montana. According to real-time tracking data, at one point nearly 93,000 customers were without power in the region.
Overview of Wyoming power outages
The outage map shows the worst-hit counties include Natrona (21,536 customers out), Campbell (12,115), Sheridan (8,837) and Johnson (7,084) among others. Major utilities impacted include Rocky Mountain Power (32,719 customers out) and Powder River Energy Corp (25,859 customers out, representing some 96 % of its tracked customers).
In central Wyoming around the city of Casper, the utility notified customers of a large-scale outage estimate: “We’re aware of a power outage affecting approximately 40,744 customers in Casper, WY and surrounding areas.”
At the same time, in Gillette a separate city-wide outage left residents without power until further notice.
What caused the Wyoming power outages?
The exact origin of the event remains under investigation. According to local reporting, the Dave Johnston Power Plant in Converse County experienced a fire during the outage, but officials stress the fire happened after the blackout began — and thus may not be the root cause.
A spokesperson for Black Hills Energy said the event was caused by “a transmission facility located outside of our system.”
State officials said they are considering whether an aurora borealis event mid-week may have contributed to a cascading grid failure, although that remains speculative.
Impact across communities
| County | Customers without power* | % of tracked customers out |
|---|---|---|
| Natrona | 21,536 | ~49.88% |
| Campbell | 12,115 | ~97.15% |
| Sheridan | 8,837 | ~68.19% |
| Johnson | 7,084 | ~99.61% |
*Figures approximate as of the latest public update.
In Rapid City, South Dakota — which also felt the ripple effects — transit operations were suspended, intersections were being manually controlled, and the local library had to close due to equipment issues. Officials urged residents to reserve 911 calls only for real emergencies to avoid clogging the system during the outage.
Restoration efforts & what residents should do
Utilities are actively working on restoring power. For example, Black Hills Energy said they began re-energising segments around 2:30 p.m. local time and were working “potentially into the evening hours.” Wyoming Public Media
Residents are advised to:
- Use emergency services only when necessary — don’t call 911 just to report an outage.
- Unplug sensitive electronics until power stabilizes.
- Check for updates from their utility provider (text “OUT” to 759677 for Rocky Mountain Power updates) as reported.
- Ensure backup lighting (flashlights, batteries) and heating provisions are in place in case the outage extends.
Why this matters
This large-scale outage underscores the vulnerability of the regional grid, especially when cascading faults or external disruptions occur. With nearly one in six tracked Wyoming customers currently without power, this event ranks among the most significant in recent years for the state.
Officials emphasise that while faults often begin in one facility, wide-area outages can escalate rapidly due to inter-linked transmission systems and voltage imbalances. In this case, one utility executive described the situation as “this wild mix … the grid needs more load to reduce the voltage … it’s out of whack.”
Next steps & accountability
State agencies are investigating, and utilities have activated their response plans. As power is restored, questions remain: Which generation or transmission unit initially tripped, and why did the outage spread so widely? Public interest is high since the economic and safety implications of sustained blackouts are serious.
In the coming hours, more detailed reporting is expected from utilities (such as PacifiCorp, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power) and state officials providing breakdowns of cause, restoration timeline, and what preventative measures will be implemented to mitigate future large-scale outages.
External links for readers:
- For detailed outage tracking: PowerOutage.us – Wyoming map
- For regional reporting: Larger article on the outage: Cowboy State Daily – Massive Outage Leaves 93,000 Customers Without Power