VANCOUVER, Washington, August 10, 2026, 02:14 PDT — U.S. core equity trading was not open, with initial electronic trading having started.
- As of 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, 2,718 customers were without electricity. By 9 p.m., outages had dropped to just 65.
- Preliminary: Active outages dropped 97.6% in 90 minutes. Earlier, outages affected 1.1% of Clark’s year-end electric accounts.
- A $160.7 million revenue and refunding bond sale targeting major investors is scheduled, with pricing anticipated on Aug. 19.
By 9 p.m. Sunday, Clark Public Utilities had returned power to all except 65 customers after a vehicle collided with a utility pole. The outage appears contained.
The upcoming bond sale stands out as the more significant event for investors. Sunday’s outage was short compared to the size of Clark’s system and previous incidents.
Initial estimates indicate the number of active outages decreased by 97.6% within 90 minutes. At 7:30 p.m., outages affected approximately 1.1% of Clark’s 243,809 electric accounts as of year-end.
The district is preparing to issue approximately $160.7 million in revenue and refunding bonds, with pricing anticipated on Aug. 19. The gross par represents about 51% of year-end electric and generating bond totals. This percentage does not reflect net debt increase, as the deal involves refinancing components.
Comparison of outage restoration
| Time, PDT | Active customers without power | Recently restored | Change from 7:30 p.m. |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 6 p.m. | Not reported | — | Outage started |
| 7:30 p.m. | 2,718 | 959 | Reference point |
| 9 p.m. | 65 | Not reported | Decrease of 97.6% |
The figure represents an initial estimate based on available snapshots.
Police in Vancouver reported that a solo vehicle crash happened at Northeast 112th Avenue and Northeast Burton Road. The driver was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. Power was knocked out in the Mill Plain neighborhood starting around 6 p.m.
Clark’s Sunday outage was approximately 1/40th the size of its biggest, when a storm in December 2025 knocked out service for around 110,000 customers. Most had power restored inside 24 hours.
Comparison of outage materiality
| Measure | Aug. 9 vehicle incident | December 2025 storm |
|---|---|---|
| Reported customer count | 2,718 remained affected at 7:30 p.m. | Roughly 110,000 impacted in a single day |
| Share of 2025 year-end accounts | 1.1% | 45.1% |
| Relative scale | Reference | Roughly 40.5 times greater |
| Restoration measure | Active cases dropped 97.6% within 90 minutes | Nearly complete restoration within 24 hours |
Figures are initial. The reporting periods for the two incidents were not the same.
CEO Lena Wittler emphasized the connection between reliability and the local economy. “Reliable and safe power and water are the foundation of life and livelihoods in Clark County,” she stated in the utility’s annual report.
Clark’s electric system reported pre-contribution earnings of $16.4 million in 2025, up from $1.0 million a year earlier. Power-supply expenses declined by 14.1%, and customer rates held steady.
Electric revenue bonds dropped to $274.1 million compared to $291.4 million. Generating-system bonds decreased to $40.9 million from $61.4 million. These figures serve as the benchmark for evaluating the upcoming refinancing.
Credit agencies evaluated the 2026 financing prior to Sunday’s crash. Fitch gave it an AA rating with a stable outlook. Moody’s assigned it Aa3, and S&P rated it A+ with a stable outlook.
Credit rating comparison
| Agency | 2026 bond rating | Action or outlook | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitch Ratings | AA | Outlook remains stable | July 28 |
| Moody’s Ratings | Aa3 | Assigned for electric and generating series | July 29 |
| S&P Global Ratings | A+ | Outlook stable | July 30 |
Each agency employs its own methodology and rating scales.
Clark operates as a customer-owned municipal corporation and does not have publicly traded equity. Shares of Northwest utility companies serve as sector benchmarks rather than as a direct trade on the outage.
Analyst ratings: Northwest utility peers listed
| Company | Consensus | Sell / Hold / Buy | Average target | Source-implied upside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland General Electric NYSE:POR | Hold | 1 / 7 / 2 | $50.70 | 3.23% |
| Avista (NYSE:AVA) | Hold | 0 / 6 / 1 | $39.25 | 1.15% |
| IDACORP (NYSE:IDA) | Moderate Buy | 0 / 2 / 6 | $154.57 | 8.78% |
Consensus figures were updated at the start of Monday, reflecting each provider’s reference price.
Edward DeArias of BMO last week assigned a price target of $52 to POR. Barclays’ Michael Lonegan lowered the target for AVA to $37 and maintained an Equal Weight rating. Lonegan also dropped his target for IDA to $162 but kept an Overweight rating.
The most recent Friday trades stood at $49.05 for POR, $38.73 for AVA, and $141.84 for IDA. The outage on Sunday occurred after those trades had taken place. As a result, the listed prices reflect no response to the event.
At the dateline, the NYSE’s main trading session was still shut, with activity set to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET. Trading had already started early on NYSE Arca. In the coming week, market participants are set to monitor final costs for repairs and restoration. Bond pricing is expected on Aug. 19.
Risks: The most recent confirmed tally showed 65 accounts still offline. There was no information about repair costs yet. Multiple outages have the potential to affect the credit rating, with Fitch citing leverage greater than six times or cash on hand for less than 90 days as negative factors.
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