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Pepco still trying to figure out what caused massive power outage in NW DC Saturday

Roughly 39,000 people lost power from Shaw to Adams Morgan on Saturday.

WASHINGTON — Pepco is still trying to figure out what caused a massive power outage in Northwest Washington D.C. on Saturday.

Roughly 39,000 people lost their power from Shaw to Adams Morgan last weekend when the utility company experienced damage to "critical infrastructure" at its substation near the Cardozo Education Campus.

Pepco recently built a transformer at the site. It also removed a damaged 65-ton transformer from the same location. A Pepco spokesperson said the utility company is also working to bring three other transformers to the area, as contingencies, if another issue were to pop up.

"We know this work is impactful on the community around the substation and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers as this critical work continues," Pepco recently tweeted.

Pepco said it is still investigating the cause of the outage.

The DC Public Service Commission also said it plans to examine the root cause of the power equipment failure that caused Saturday's incident too.

RELATED: VERIFY: Are Pepco trucks really monitored and tracked by GPS?

Pepco is required to submit a report of the power outage incident to DCPSC by Wednesday.

"The Commission's technical staff will consult with Pepco to determine what happened at the Florida Avenue substation," stated Chairman Willie L. Phillips.

Locals in the city's Truxton Circle neighborhood have also been complaining about power outages recently. 

But, their issues are not related to recent outage that occurred in Shaw.

According to Pepco, homes around 4th and R streets NW have experienced five outages, of varying lengths, in the last month.

The most recent one occurred Monday night.

RELATED: Power restored to all residents after incident at Florida Ave., substation

"We were actually all downstairs watching television and the power seemed to just go out," said Truxton Circle resident Aubrey Maslen.

A Pepco spokesperson said it plans to look more deeply into the issue and how to prevent it in the future.

The utility company currently believes problems with underground cables and a technical issue at a nearby substation are causing the outages in that neighborhood.

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