Part of Unalaska went dark early this morning after a malfunction at the powerhouse.

Public Utilities Director Dan Winters says the power outage only affected the Unalaska side -- stretching from the valley neighborhood to Captains Bay Rd.

That area lost power just after 6 a.m., after a cooling pipe broke on one of the engines at the powerhouse.

Winters says the engine was shut down on purpose before it overheated. Workers brought a different engine online to cover the extra load, and power was restored just before 7 a.m.

Winters says it’s a fairly routine problem, caused by wear and tear from four years of service. Until the pipe is replaced, Winters says the backup engine can run as long as necessary.