Naec power outage

Interruptions for improvements — planned outages benefit all members

Like any electric provider, our cooperative aims to make your electric service as reliable as possible. Planned power outages — though rare — help us achieve that goal.

First, regular maintenance — like replacing a damaged or deteriorating utility pole or trimming trees near power lines — may also require planned outages. These outages allow our employees to work in a safer environment.

“On our system, planned outages are almost always about maintenance,” says NAEC Operations Superintendent Richard Ballard. “If we have a bad pole that we determine is too dangerous for our linemen to work on while it’s energized, we will cut power so they can work safely.”

Second, technological advances allow us to strengthen the grid. Stronger poles and wires, and the development of devices that better protect equipment from winds and wildlife all reduce the chances outages occur, especially during storms.

To make these upgrades, though, we sometimes have to shut off power. Planned outages allow us to notify our members about when these will occur and how long the outages will last, allowing them to prepare and mitigate an