By Tim Bowley, Operations Manager
Providing reliable power to you is and will always be top priority for PPEC. These days, power reliability seems to be making news now more than ever.
As the energy industry continues to transition and more segments of the economy are becoming electrified, such as vehicles, machinery, and even lawn equipment, additional pressures are being placed on our nation’s electric grid.
With summer storm season upon us, now is a good time to tell you about a few measures we’re taking to ensure you continue receiving the reliable power you depend on and deserve.
Let me be the first to say I love trees and the charm they add to our communities, and I know you do too. While trees provide shade and add beauty to our area, you may be surprised to learn that overgrown vegetation accounts for about half of all power outages.
That's why we strive to keep the co-op's power lines clear in right-of-way (ROW) areas. A ROW area is the land a co-op uses to construct, maintain, replace or repair underground and overhead power lines. This ROW enables PPEC to provide clearance from trees and other obstructions that could hinder distribution power lines.
At this point in 2022, 1,515 members had experienced tree-related outages that totaled 5,027 hours with an average 3.3-hour restoral time. Over the same time in 2023 we have had 679 members experience tree-related outages for 1652 hours with an average restoral time of 2.4 hours. Many of these outages were wind related and were trees that came from outside our right of way that we cannot trim or remove. Generally speaking, healthy trees don't fall on powerlines, and clear lines don't cause problems. Proactive trimming and pruning keep lines clear to improve power reliability.
We are continuously evaluating our tree program to ensure we are utilizing industry best practices. Our goal is to prove timely and cost-effective right-of-way maintenance and continue our commitment to providing safe and reliable electric service to you, our members while maintaining the beauty of our area.
Planned Outages Improve Reliability
Although it may seem counterintuitive, we also maintain power reliability through planned, controlled outages. By carefully cutting power to one part of our local area for a few hours, PPEC lineworkers can perform system repairs and upgrades, which ultimately improve electric service. Rest assured, we will always do our best to notify you in advance of a planned outage, so make sure we have your correct contact information on file to receive the latest emails or texts. Contact information can be updated via SmartHub or by calling our office.
Lastly, I encourage you to follow PPEC on social media so you can learn about the latest co-op updates. If you have any questions feel free to give our office a call at 800-686-2357.