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Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative provides power outage education during May luncheon
Jennifer Grossl, Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative Communications Manager, facilitated a presentation to educate people on the common causes of power outages. “On Monday we had power outages due to the severe weather. 800 customers were without power, which we had restored by 9 p.m.,” Jennifer said.
Weather was the first cause of a power outage discussed. High winds, snow and ice can cause tree limbs to fall on power lines. Other weather effects, like wildfires and lightning strikes can cause major damage to equipment.
Critters. Squirrels, birds, snakes and other animals can inadvertantly contact power lines, causing short circuits and disruptions to electrical supply.
Accidents. Vehicles can crash into utility poles, bringing down power lines. Construction and excavation work can also result in disruptions to underground lines. Jennifer stressed more than once, “If you are in an accident with a utility pole, please stay in your car, unless it is on fire.”
Scheduled Maintenance. Occasionally, outages are planned to perform upgrades or repairs to parts of the local grid.
Straight line winds impacting power lines.
Automobile accident with lines touching vehicle.
Jennifer introduced Jacob Bishop to discuss the Right of Way Vegetation Management Program. The problems caused by undesirable vegetation and the cost of controlling it are a fundamental responsibility of all cooperative members collectively. Undesirable vegetation in easements continues to be a very real and costly physical obstacle to providing economical and reliable electric power to all Platte-Clay Electric Co-op members. PCEC maintains an online map for customers to see when there will be work in their area.
In addition, there is an interactive outage map located on the website. PCEC provides 24/7 service for outages and emergency calls. On average, members experience less than one hour of outage time per year. This high mark for reliable service reflects decades of planning and investment related to PCEC’s electrical system.
For more information about Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative services, visit their website or call 816-628-3121.