Foggy Bottom Power Outage Hits 1,100 in Washington DC on Election Eve

About 1,100 homes and businesses in Washington's Foggy Bottom neighbourhood lost power on Monday morning, November 2, 2026, after what the utility Pepco called an "event" at its I Street Substation, leaving a university campus, government offices and busy streets without electricity for about five hours on the eve of the midterm elections. The Foggy Bottom power outage began at about 9 a.m., stretched across much of the neighbourhood near George Washington University, and was not fully restored until the early afternoon, even as fire crews investigated smoke rising from manholes in the heart of the affected area.

Key Points

• About 1,100 Pepco customers lost power in Foggy Bottom from about 9 a.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026; the city's AlertDC system put the figure at 1,176.
• Pepco blamed an "event" at its I Street Substation; the cause remains under investigation and the utility says there is no indication of foul play.
• George Washington University cancelled classes for the day, while traffic lights failed and police directed traffic across the neighbourhood.
• State Department off-site offices, including the Washington Passport Agency, closed to the public, and the World Bank building also lost power.
• No injuries were reported, and Pepco said power had been restored to all affected customers by about 2:12 p.m.

What Happened

The outage covered roughly the area from 17th to 21st Streets NW, between Virginia Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, according to reports of Pepco's outage map. At about the same time, DC Fire and EMS crews responded to reports of smoke coming from several manholes in the 1800 block of H Street NW, near the Farragut West Metro station. A Fire and EMS post on X at 9:54 a.m. said crews were investigating the area with Pepco on scene to assist with a power surge and electrical outages, and police blocked off the 1800 block of H Street while the work went on.

Pepco first estimated that power would be restored by about 11 a.m., then withdrew that estimate, listing the restoration time on its outage map as "pending assessment". At 1:46 p.m., the utility said it expected everyone to be back by 2 p.m., and at 2:12 p.m. it said power had been restored to all impacted customers, roughly five hours after the outage began. WTOP cited a 2 p.m. update saying all customers were back, while WJLA put it at 2:20 p.m.; the university confirmed campus power just before 3 p.m. Traffic lights were dark at many intersections, officers directed traffic as far north as K Street, and the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station kept operating normally.

Background and Context

Foggy Bottom, just west of downtown Washington, packs a university, international institutions, federal offices and homes into a small grid. That density explains why one substation event was felt so widely. The neighbourhood has been here before: a February 2025 outage in West End and Dupont Circle left hundreds without power for over two days, and a July 2025 outage affected about 1,800 residents for hours. In March, the local advisory neighbourhood commission criticised Pepco for repeated widespread outages.

Foggy Bottom Power Outage Hits Campus and Offices

George Washington University bore the most visible disruption. A GW Alert said Foggy Bottom and multiple campus buildings lost power at about 9 a.m., and officials first cancelled classes until noon before announcing at about 11:40 a.m. that classes were cancelled for the entire day. The outage affected all of the university's Foggy Bottom campus except seven buildings, and GW IT confirmed that it had hit the Foggy Bottom Data Center and services such as GWeb and classroom technology. Medicine and law classes continued in person and remotely. Access to some buildings was restricted, students locked out of dorms were sent to the key depot at 2025 F Street, and dining was disrupted, with food trucks outside Thurston Hall and Kogan Plaza. Once power returned, all dining facilities reopened.

Beyond the campus, the Hatchet reported that Western Market, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund appeared to have lost power, and that the outage extended south to the State Department, where officials confirmed the department had also lost power. The State Department's headquarters had only brief interruptions, but several off-site offices, including the Washington Passport Agency, closed to the public. One reader told PoPville a manhole had exploded outside the World Bank; officials have not confirmed that account.

Reactions and Quotes

Pepco's public statements stayed narrow and careful. Early in the day, a spokesperson described the situation as "developing" and said crews were on site, and the utility later said its crews were working to restore power safely and as quickly as possible. On the cause, Pepco has gone no further than the early label on its outage map, which listed a probable failure in the substation, while stressing that the cause of the event at the I Street Substation remains under investigation. A spokesperson said there was "no indication of foul play". No official has reported any injury, and none has linked the manhole smoke to the substation event.

Why It Matters

The outage matters for three reasons. First, it hit the machinery of everyday life in the capital: a major university, a passport agency and international institutions, all within a few blocks, all dark at the same time. Second, it happened on the day before the midterm elections, when Washington was already braced for a consequential Tuesday, even though no report has suggested the outage affected voting or election operations. Third, it fits a pattern that local residents have already raised with Pepco: repeated, widespread outages in the same part of the city, with explanations that arrive slowly and in stages. Pepco's early 11 a.m. estimate did not hold, and restoration stayed listed as "pending assessment" for hours.

What Happens Next

The central question is what Pepco's investigation finds: what failed at the I Street Substation, whether the manhole smoke shares a cause, and whether equipment must be replaced. Until then, the outage remains officially unexplained beyond the early "probable cause" substation-failure label. Customers can check updates at pepco.com, in the Pepco app, or by calling 1-877-737-2662, and anyone who sees a smoking manhole should keep away and report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many customers lost power? Pepco said about 1,100; AlertDC reported 1,176.

What caused the outage? Pepco cites an "event" at its I Street Substation; the full cause is under investigation, with no indication of foul play.

How long did it last? From about 9 a.m. to about 2:12 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026, roughly five hours; the university confirmed campus power just before 3 p.m.

Did it affect the State Department or the World Bank? Headquarters had only brief interruptions, but several off-site offices, including the Washington Passport Agency, closed to the public, and the World Bank building also lost power.

Was anyone hurt? No injuries were reported, and the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro station operated normally.

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