14,000+ Homes Lost Power in St George Utah This Week. Here’s How Installting a Standby Generator Keeps Yours Running.
Thursday night your power probably went out and you have been left to wonder what happened. You may be thinking that it would be smart to do something so you’re not left sitting in the dark and the heat the next time this happens.
What happened was not a figment of your imagination. PacifiCorp had an issue on Thursday, August 27 a little after 5:15 p.m. that affected more than one utility in southern Utah. Before 6 p.m. there were 14,000 Rocky Mountain Power customers in the dark; the outage made its way to all ten of the power entities in Washington County and St. George and environs were hit at once. The chief operations officer of Dixie Power put it to KSL that with the remedy being upstream of the local utilities, getting the lights back on was “out of their local hands.” All of this while the grid in St. George gave way to 104 degree temperatures.
When you have a triple-digit day and an outage beyond the means of any local to correct, that is what a standby generator is for.
Why You Should Be Paying Attention to This
For the most part, an outage in southern Utah is a mere inconvenience and over quickly. But Thursday was a case in point that a well-run grid can go down in an instant and there is nothing a homeowner can do about it. The police in St. George were having to tell people not to tie up 911 with non-emergencies. Once the power returned, Washington City Power wanted residents to leave the air conditioning off to stabilize the system. Dammeron Valley Water Works made the same request of its customers to conserve water even though the tanks are full, since the water system is an electrical one too. Food can even become unsafe quickly when appliances stay off too long. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends keeping the doors closed. An unopened refrigerator generally keeps food safe for up to four hours. A full, unopened freezer can hold a safe temperature for about 48 hours.
Put simply, in this part of Utah a loss of power is not only about the lights. It is 104 degrees with no AC. It is the contents of your fridge. There is the matter of water pressure. For those with medical equipment it is a real hazard.
The Function of a Standby Generator
You can make a portable unit run some of the essentials if you don’t mind lugging it out and dealing with extension cords and fuel when the power fails. An entire home standby generator installation is altogether different. Put in permanently outside and hardwired to your panel via an automatic transfer switch, it will be running in a matter of seconds. There is no need for trips to the gas station in this kind of heat or to second guess which circuit you have plugged in.
In practice it means:
- Your AC continues to work in spite of an outage like we have seen
- The food in your refrigerator and freezer does not have to be discarded
- Well pumps and water pressure are unaffected
- Any medical equipment is uninterrupted
- Whether you are in the house or not, the system will start of its own accord
Since the unit is sized to the load of your home, a standby generator will handle anything from the bare necessities to the whole property. Get started here with Whipple’s interactive standby generator buying guide can help homeowners begin comparing whole-home and partial-home options.
Whipple Is the Choice for St. George Homeowners
We have been with Utah homeowners since 1947. Whipple Cooling, Heating, Plumbing & Electrical has licensed electricians who install and service Generac and other standby systems in St. George and the area. Our team puts in more than 200 hours of training annually to see that the job is done to code and the right size at your home the first time around.
Make a call to us for a generator installation and you will find:
- An estimate at no cost so you are clear on the investment
- Licensed and insured electricians (License #12559394-5501)
- Installation of an automatic transfer switch to put the generator to work for you
- Maintenance and repair to have it in order when the grid is not
- Financing through Synchrony on larger jobs
- A 100% satisfaction guarantee from a firm with 250,000 homes under its belt
There is no need to wait until the power goes out to put some questions to us. Give the Whipple Service Champions a ring at (801) 515-2213 and our St. George electricians can discuss the proper size for a standby generator at your place.
Some Questions We Get Asked About Standby Generators
What is the difference with my portable?
With a portable you have to set it up and fuel it by hand. A standby is put in for good and starts on its own in seconds without any manual intervention.
What about Portable Generators, are they safe?
Never operate a portable generator inside a home, garage, basement, shed, or other enclosed area. Ready.gov advises using generators outdoors and away from windows to reduce the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and electrical hazards. Follow the manufacturer’s placement and operating instructions.
Will it cover the AC and the rest of the house?
If it is of the right size it will. Our electricians will determine during the estimate if you want the essential circuits or the whole home.
How soon can Whipple have one in?
That is a matter of your home’s electricals and the system size; we will give you a realistic timetable with your free estimate.
Do you only do Generac?
We install and service Generac but will also do maintenance on other brands.
And if I don’t have one and the power is out?
Our electrical team can be reached at (801) 515-2213 to advise you on the safest course of action in the interim.
Source: KSL, “Over 14,000 without power in southern Utah,” Aug. 27, 2026 — https://www.ksl.com/article/51617145/over-14000-without-power-in-southern-utah
