WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital back to full power after emergency electrical line repair

Princeton, WV (WOAY) – WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital (PCH) is back on full power after an unprecedented emergency repair was completed in under 48 hours.  

It all began Monday night around 7 p.m., when the hospital’s main electrical line was accidentally severed.  

Teams immediately switched to backup generators and launched a full-scale response.  

What followed was a massive, around-the-clock effort to dig a new trench, lay cable, and fully replace the hospital’s power supply — an operation that typically takes much longer.  

Inpatient services, the ER, and most outpatient clinics stayed open, thanks to redundant power systems and an all-hands-on-deck approach from staff.  

Hospital CEO Karen Bowling called the response “extraordinary,” praising employees who worked long hours, often in the dark, to keep patients safe.  

She also thanked partners, such as Appalachian Electric Power and local contractors, for stepping in immediately.  

Bowling says this moment proves one thing: WVU Medicine isn’t just delivering care, it’s leading it across the two Virginias. 

Visit wvumedicine.org/princeton for more information on WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital.