Tuesday, August 11, 2026 / University of Oregon / Eugene
UO will test campus power for two full days
Brief outages are possible Wednesday and Thursday, while University Health Services patient care and the art museum close for both days.
University of Oregon generators will be tested from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 12-13. Most buildings should stay powered, but the university says people may see outages of about 10 seconds while equipment switches between utility and backup power.
The schedule is long because a fourth generator was added to the central power station, creating more equipment and controls to test. Crews will pause for lunch around noon. University Health Services will close patient-care operations both days, though phones remain available, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art will also be closed.
Ten seconds is plenty of time for an unsaved document or delicate lab instrument to discover philosophy. Back up work and check department-specific plans before the first switch Wednesday morning.
Field notes
What changed: UO's annual electrical test is scheduled for Aug. 12 and 13, with brief possible outages and two service closures.
Why it matters: The test affects a broad swath of campus during working hours and may interrupt sensitive equipment even when the outage is brief.
Who may be affected: Campus staff, researchers, summer students, Health Services patients and museum visitors.