Watson Substation Project

Duquesne Light Company (DLC) is undertaking several projects to enhance the resiliency of Pittsburgh's power grid, including investments in grid modernization, infrastructure upgrades and engaging community support. These efforts are driven by the need to meet the growing energy demands of the region and to improve resiliency in the face of increasingly volatile weather. As Downtown continues its resurgence with large-scale projects like Arts Landing and the refurbishment of Market Square that will redefine the neighborhood, and with the 2026 NFL Draft around the corner, DLC is proud to contribute to this new renaissance with the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility called the Watson Substation. Built in the Bluff neighborhood (often referred to by residents as Uptown or part of the Hill District) this new cornerstone of DLC’s electrical grid will provide an additional source of safe, resilient power to the Golden Triangle.

A substation provides redundancy and resiliency to the grid and functions as a “step down,” converting higher-voltage electricity from a transmission system to lower-voltage electricity that can be safely delivered to homes and businesses through distribution lines.

As part of the process to bring the substation online, a planned transfer of power will be required. This step is necessary to safely connect the new facility to existing transmission and distribution lines. While we aim to minimize any disruption, this work may result in a brief, temporary service interruption. Potentially affected customers in the Downtown area are being notified in advance, and we appreciate their patience as we complete this important upgrade to the electrical grid.

The transfer of the power supply to the Watson Substation will potentially impact some customers located within the Downtown Pittsburgh and Uptown areas and including Boulevard of the Allies; Fort Pitt Boulevard; Bigelow Square; Boyd, Chatham, Crawford, Diamond, Grant, Ross, Smithfield and Wood Streets; Centre, Forbes, Liberty, Oliver, First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Avenues; Cherry, Strawberry and William Penn Ways.

The transfer is planned to take place on the nights of Tuesday, Oct. 28, and Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, at approximately 10 p.m. Each customer will only potentially be affected on one of those evenings and DLC has reached out to those customers to confirm which evening. Based on current projections and subject to conditions remaining stable, DLC anticipates the possibility of a brief temporary outage, which is not expected to exceed thirty (30) minutes. This estimate is provided for planning purposes only and may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.

Yes, parking garages will remain open. Elevators, lighting and automated systems may be temporarily unavailable during the transfer of power, which is not expected to exceed thirty (30) minutes. Allow extra time when entering or exiting parking garages and use the stairs when possible. If you require accessibility accommodations, please contact ALCO Parking at (412) 323-4455.

At DLC, the safety of our employees, contractors, customers and community is always the top priority. We are coordinating with local emergency officials. Additional internal personnel will be onsite to assist with traffic control, pedestrian safety and any potential emergency response efforts as this work may lead to temporary service interruptions to traffic lights, residential properties and businesses. For real-time updates and guidance, you can go to this webpage, DuquesneLight.com/Watson for more information. 

• DLC Resources: Preparing for Outages
• Commonwealth of PA Resources: What To Do When the Power Goes Out
• American Red Cross: Prepare in Advance | American Red Cross 
• FEMA: Power Outages | Ready.gov, or Ready Business Power Outage Toolkit

If you are an impacted customer, and we have your contact information on file, we will notify you when the transfer is complete. Verify or update your contact information by visiting your Account Settings. 

DLC does not supply generators for general use.

If you or someone in the building relies on life-sustaining medical equipment (e.g., respirators, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, etc.), DLC strongly recommends having a backup plan for all power outages, such as portable generators or battery backups. You can also reach out to our team to secure a backup power device for medical purposes at CustomerRelations@duqlight.com before the power transfer occurs. Available on a first come, first served basis.

While we are taking extensive precautions to ensure a safe, controlled, brief transfer of power supply, we understand concerns about these potential impacts. If you believe any damage has occurred as a result of the transfer, you may submit a claim to DLC’s Claims Department by calling 412-393-6032 and following the voicemail prompts. You can also submit a claim online by filling out the Customer Claims Form. Once a claim is submitted, we will reach out to you to gather more information. 

The City of Pittsburgh and/or Allegheny County periodically activate warming or cooling centers as needed based on weather. If available, you can find locations of warming or cooling centers by checking DLC’s outage map. 

DLC does not anticipate any additional work related to this project scheduled in the future that will directly impact customer service.

Contact 911 for any emergencies or reach out to the DLC Customer Relations team at CustomerRelations@duqlight.com for any questions.