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70,000 Lose Power in Washoe; Shelter Opens at Sparks Library

6/18/2026

25 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Approximately 70,000 NV Energy customers in Washoe County lost power Tuesday night.
An evacuation shelter opened at the Sparks Library on 12th Street for displaced residents.
Outages were most severe in Reno’s 89512 and 89511 ZIP codes and Spanish Springs’ 89436 ZIP code.
NV Energy has not given a cause, has not responded to media, and urges customers to watch its outage map.

History

Historical Context

NV Energy’s recent Washoe County outage echoes earlier grid failures that reshaped U.S. reliability policy. The July 2, 1996 western blackout left over two million customers without power and prompted President Bill Clinton to order a Department of Energy probe, while the August 2003 Northeast blackout affected roughly 50 million people and spurred nationwide transmission upgrades. Those reforms now guide regulators overseeing NV Energy.

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Story summary

Approximately 70,000 NV Energy customers in Washoe County lost power Tuesday night.
An evacuation shelter opened at the Sparks Library on 12th Street for displaced residents.
Outages were most severe in Reno’s 89512 and 89511 ZIP codes and Spanish Springs’ 89436 ZIP code.
NV Energy has not given a cause, has not responded to media, and urges customers to watch its outage map.

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