North Carolina electric cooperatives

North Carolina's electric cooperatives' Crews Restore Power to Thousands

RALEIGH, N.C., April 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- North Carolina's electric cooperatives' line crews and personnel continue their rapid response to power outages caused by yesterday's severe weather. Outages occurred as a result of high winds causing tree limbs and branches to fall on power lines or as a result of those winds breaking poles and damaging electrical equipment. The majority of the outages, including many of those that remain, were caused by issues with high-voltage transmission lines. Electric cooperative personnel are working closely with neighboring utilities to resolve these issues.

Electric cooperative crews have restored power to a significant number of homes affected by the severe weather. Approximately 32,000 outages remain across the cooperatives' service areas, down from a peak of nearly 100,000 as the storms moved through yesterday. Cooperative line crews in the most affected areas, south central North Carolina, are relying on assistance from cooperative line crews from less affected areas of the state. These crews are working hard to make sure all of North Carolina's electric cooperative members have power restored quickly.

If you see a downed power line or pole, DO NOT TOUCH IT. Call your local electric cooperative or 911 immediately. You can find contact information for your electric cooperative at www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/storm/outages.htm.

North Carolina's electric cooperatives provide energy to 2.5 million people in 93 of the state's 100 counties, primarily in rural parts of the state. The electric cooperatives own and maintain 95,000 miles of power lines.

SOURCE North Carolina's electric cooperatives