When a powerful storm rolls through our service area and causes an outage, our line crews work quickly and efficiently to safely restore power as soon as possible. To do this, they follow a five-step restoration plan designed to minimize downtime for our members.
1. Lineworkers start by checking for damage to transmission towers and cables that supply power to substations. While it’s rare for this equipment to fail, if it becomes damaged, it has to be repaired before the rest of the system can operate.
2. The next step is to inspect substations, which can serve thousands of members. Our line crews inspect the substations to determine if the transmission lines are the source of the problem or if the issue lies with the substation itself.
3. Our lineworkers will then check the distribution lines, which carry power to large groups of members throughout the community.
4. The lineworkers will then move on to the smaller distribution lines if the outages still persist. These lines are responsible for delivering power to transformers, which are mounted on pads or poles outside homes, businesses and schools.
5. If there are still a few homes without power, the outage is a more isolated issue. In that case, our line crews may need to repair the service line between the residences and a transformer.
By following this restoration process, our lineworkers are able to restore power to the greatest number of people first, helping to minimize the impact of the outage.
How to Report an Outage
If you experience an outage from a summer storm, you can report it through any of the following methods:
1. By text: Text “pemc” to 800.222.3107 to opt-in and then text “#out” to report your outage. Your cell phone number will need to be in our system so make sure your information is up-to-date at pemc.smarthub.coop or by calling 800.222.3107.
2. Through the SmartHub app: Click on the “Report an Outage or Issue” at the top of the page.
3. Online: Log into your SmartHub account, navigate to the Quick Links section and select “Report an Outage or Issue.”
4. By phone: Call 800.222.3107 and follow the automated instructions to report the outage.
You can monitor the status of an outage at pemc.coop or by following us on Facebook and Twitter.