UA to experience power outage over weekend

During the power cut, TEP will install automatic "throw-over" devices between the two main 46,000-volt power lines that bring electricity to the UA, said Bill Wilson, senior staff technician for Facilities Management.

Wilson said one of the two lines handles most of electrical traffic to the campus.

Right now, he said, a power outage requires TEP technicians to manually switch the power to the other line. The new device will do the job automatically.

"It's like a giant automatic switch," Wilson said

Power is scheduled to go out in many main campus buildings for short intervals between 8 a.m., Friday until 7 p.m., Saturday, then reduced to "critical power use," Wilson said.

"Critical power use is defined as that power use which is vital to avoid damage to life or property," Wilson said.

Some buildings will not experience a shutdown, but will be placed under the same usage restraints.

Damage to life or property, Wilson said, includes ongoing experiments that would be affected by a power loss.

Seth Ruskin, a chemistry lab manager, said some research projects will be neglected over the break because of the power disruptions.

Volatile chemicals will remain at stable temperatures under the critical power restriction, but lighting and heating in the Karl S. Marvel Building lab areas will be turned off, he said.

Cusanovich said, for example, biochemistry researchers staying in Tucson over the break will still be able to work, despite a short power outage.

"Nobody that I've talked to thinks (the limited power) is a big problem," he said.

"It has a benefit because (the work) will protect from power outages in the future," Cusanovich added.

Linda Drew, computing manager at CCIT, said the power shutdown will cut off the U Cluster (e-mail system) will be unavailable from 6 a.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday.

Drew said the Thanksgiving holiday was chosen because many students and staff will be off campus during the shutdown.

"The dates were chosen to cause the least amount of inconvenience for the greatest number of people," she said.

Faculty, staff and students should shut off computer equipment before leaving Wednesday, Drew said.

Drew encouraged students to plan ahead to complete assignments because the computers on campus may not be available when they return.

Julie McCrea, area coordinator for residence life, said Monday the La Paz Residence Hall is on the list of buildings that will not experience power disruption.

The building will be under the critical power restriction, McCrea said, but lighting and heating will be left on for students staying on campus during the break.

McCrea said Monday that students remaining on campus during the break would be notified of the power use restrictions.

Beth Scrivner, a special education freshman, said she would be staying on campus for at least two days over the break, but was unaware that students would not be able to use computers.

"I think it kind of sucks," she said, "people have homework to do."