Powering Up After an Outage

June 2020

When the power goes out, we expect it to be restored within a few hours. But when a major storm or natural disaster causes widespread damage, extended outages may result. Our line crews work long, hard hours to restore service safely to the greatest number of consumers in the shortest time possible. Here’s what’s going on if you find yourself in the dark:

1. High-Voltage Transmission Lines
   Transmission towers and cables that supply power to substations (and thousands of consumers) rarely fail. But when damaged, these facilities must be repaired before other parts of the system can operate.
2. Distribution Substations
   Each substation serves hundreds or thousands of consumers. When a major outage occurs, line crews inspect substations to determine if problems stem from transmission lines feeding into the substation or equipment in the substation itself.
3. Main Distribution Feeders
   If the problem is not locat¬ed within the substation, distribution feeder lines are checked. These lines carry power to large groups of consumers in communities or housing developments.
4. Tap Lines
   If local outages persist, smaller supply lines (also known as tap lines) are inspected. These lines deliver power to transformers, either mounted on poles or placed on pads, outside busi¬nesses, schools, and homes.
5. Individual Homes
   If your home remains without power, the service line between a transformer and your residence may need to be repaired. Always call to report an outage to help SVEC isolate local issues.