During an Outage

Restoration Plan

In the aftermath of a major storm or other event, we implement a service restoration plan which emphasizes safety and efficiency. Our first priority is safety. Repair crews are assigned to the most critical areas to make them safe for the general public. It is important to know that for the safety of our repair crews, efforts to restore electric service are suspended when conditions reach a level that is determined unsafe.

Our second priority is to restore power in the most efficient manner. After a thorough damage assessment has been completed, our repair crews will restore electrical service by repairing power lines that restore power in the shortest period of time to the largest number of customers possible. This occurs before our crews begin the more time consuming task of restoring service to individual homes and businesses.

We ask that you please remain patient in the event that your power is out following a major storm or event. Depending on the damage inflicted on the electric distribution system, your power could be out for an extended period of time.

For your safety and the safety of our crews, please be aware of all service vehicles parked along roadways and service repair sites. In the event you have any outage questions or would like to report downed lines please notify our office. Directing these questions to a service technician at a repair site will slow the restoration process and could also be dangerous. Please do not stop our repair vehicles on the road as this could create a safety hazard.

Generator Safety

If you plan to use a portable generator, here are some important safety precautions:

• Read all instructions carefully and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• First, never run your generator indoors or in your garage. Generators should only be run in a well-ventilated area. Gasoline-powered generators produce carbon monoxide and the fumes can be deadly if there is not adequate ventilation.
• Second, plug appliances directly into the generator using heavy duty, properly grounded extension cords.
• Make sure that extension cords are not frayed or worn.
• Limit the electrical load placed on the generator to no more than the recommended wattage.
• Do not connect your power generator directly to your home’s main fuse box or circuit panel.
• Use the generator only when necessary.
• Portable generators should not be connected to any of the utility power lines or house wiring unless the service is equipped with a double-throw switch properly installed by a licensed electrician. Generators that are not isolated or installed properly can feed back in to our lines and may cause serious injury to anyone coming in contact with those wires.
• Turn the generator off at night while you sleep and when you are away from home.

If you have any questions about how to properly use a portable electric generator, contact the manufacturer or a licensed electrician for assistance.