http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/scattered-power-outages-reported-across-dc-area/2015/04/07/8f4e8b84-dd49-11e4-a500-1c5bb1d8ff6a_story.html
Local
Scattered power outages reported across D.C.
This image provided by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency shows widespread power outages Tuesday afternoon concentrated in Southern Maryland, south of the District. (Maryland Emergency Management Agency)
By Aaron C. Davis and Julie Zauzmer April 7 at 1:33 PM
D.C. utilities and homeland security officials are investigating a power surge that temporarily knocked out power to the White House, parts of downtown Washington and other nearby areas.
D.C. homeland security officials said an explosion at a southern Maryland electrical facility is believed to have caused the power surge that temporarily knocked out power to the White House and much of downtown Washington.
The explosion was at a facility run by SMECO, a customer-owned electric that serves parts of the District’s Maryland suburbs, said Nicole Chapple, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
Chris T. Geldart, director of the agency, said the District experienced a broad power surge that left many downtown buildings dark or on backup generation.
Any District facility with a critical operations center flipped over to emergency back-up power, Geldart said. That appeared to include the White House, State Department, and many District offices.
Several Metro stations were running on back-up generation near 1:30 p.m.
Chapple said PEPCO was working to bring its electrical grid back up to normal strength.
Reports indicated outages at the Justice Department, State Department and Smithsonian museums. As of about 1:20 p.m., power was on at the White House, Executive Office Building and Department of Homeland Security.
Metro reported that 13 stations were operating on backup power, but train service was normal. Some elevators and escalators weren’t in operation.
The University of Maryland in College Park also reported several people were stuck on elevators.
Mark Brady, Prince George’s County fire department spokesman, said that firefighters were getting the people out of the elevators.
Pepco did not respond to a request for information.
