Michigan State identifies cause of campuswide power outage

EAST LANSING — Michigan State University has identified the cause of a power outage affecting campus but it’s still unknown how long it will take before power is restored, spokeswoman Amber McCann said in a Saturday, Sept. 19, release.

“The university does not yet have an estimated time for power to be restored and anticipates it may still be hours until campus is fully restored,” she said. “As a result of the power outage, those on campus may be experiencing an impact to cellular service across all carriers.”

As well as “actively working” on restoring power, the university is communicating with cellular providers including Verizon Wireless, which is working to bring mobile units to campus to improve service, said McCann, who did not detail why the outage occurred.

Patrol officers with the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety should be available throughout campus and they are connecting with campus neighborhood staff for support.

Light towers are being placed at campus intersections.

The campuswide power outage happened at about 4:15 p.m., causing all dining locations to close and the cancellation of “Beetlejuice” at MSU’s Wharton Center on Saturday.

Eat at State provided an “important announcement” over social media at 4:33 p.m. Saturday, soon after the power loss occurred.

“Please note: due to the campuswide power outage all dining locations will be closed until further notice,” the post said. “We will provide updates as soon as possible.”

Nadia Vizueta, communications manager for MSU’s Department of Police and Public Safety, confirmed the campuswide outage and said crews were trying to remedy the problem associated with the university’s T. B. Simon Power Plant at 354 Service Road.

“We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” Vizueta said.

“We have experienced a widespread power outage on campus,” MSU’s community awareness message said. “The MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities (IPF) Team is currently working to quickly identify and diagnose the issue. Besides the power outage itself, there is no threat to campus.

“Please call or text 911 to report any emergencies, or call 517-355-2221 to report any non-emergency related issues.”

 The outage happened a few hours before Michigan State’s football game at Notre Dame in Indiana. The game had a 7:30 p.m. start time.  

The Wharton Center for Performing Arts said over social media it was canceling a “Beetlejuice” evening performance on September 19 because of the outage.

“We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience,” it said. “Additional information regarding next steps will be shared shortly.”

A notice from MSU’s Infrastructure, Planning and Facilities Department indicated MSU Union will close at 8 p.m. because of the power loss.

Check back for updates.

Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.