When the power goes out most of us expected it to come back on within a few hours but sometimes major storms cause widespread damage and outages can last longer than expected. The good news is that your electric co-op line crews working long hard hours to restore service safely to the greatest number of members. That’s you in the shortest time possible. Ever wonder how to do it. Well there are 4 steps to restoring power that we should all know about especially when we find ourselves in the dark.

Step 1: Repair high voltage transmission lines.
Transmission towers and lines supply power to thousands of members. They rarely fall but when they do, they must be repaired first before other parts of the system can operate.

Step 2: Inspect distribution substation
Distribution substation receive high voltage power from transmission lines, then disperse that power at a lower voltage to the coop’s main distribution lines.
Depending on your electric coop’s service territory, distribution substations can serve either hundreds or thousands of members. When a major power outage occurs, the coop line crews inspect the substation to determine if the problem stands from the transmission lines feeding into the substation, the substation itself, or if the problem is further down the line.

Step 3: Check main distribution lines
If the problem cannot be isolated at a distribution substation the main distribution lines are checked first. These lines carry power to large groups of members in your electric coop’s service territory.

Step 4: Examine tap lines
If local outages persist, supply lines called tap lines are examined. These lines deliver power to transformers that are either mounted on poles or placed on pad for underground service and can be found outside of homes, businesses and schools. Occasionally, damage will occur on the service line between the nearest transformer and your home.

Has your neighbor ever have power when yours is out? That is why. When the problem is in the tap line, coop line crews will fix outages in order that will restore service to the greatest number of members at a time.

As you can see, restoring power after a major outage is a big job that involves much more than simply flipping a switch or removing a tree from a damage line. When coops work to restore power they often have the capability to work on multiple parts of the system simultaneously. This ensures reliable power with a faster response time. In the event of an outage, your local line crews will restore power safely to the greatest number of members in the shortest time possible and will keep working until the lights are back on.

As always, we appreciate your patience and your business.