Power Restoration at Full Speed

1,482 workers from Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC), contractors and assisting utility companies are working this morning to restore power. That’s 43 times the number of the cooperative's employees that work in the field on a normal day.

It’s been just over 72 hours since the restoration effort began, and power has been restored to 59% of the co-op’s consumer members.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the work our employees are doing,” says SVEC CEO Mike McWaters. “The results we are seeing are a testament to their commitment to their neighbors here in the community. “Everyone here at the cooperative is also very grateful for the assistance we are receiving from our industry colleagues.”

Forty-one out of SVEC’s 42 distribution feeders (98%) have been energized in the first 48 hours of restoration, and power has been restored to more than 12,000 consumers.

Blair substation served by Duke Energy Florida in Hamilton County is the only transmission delivery point not reenergized.

There have been 2,157 documented reports of damage to SVEC’s distribution system, including 458 broken poles.

The cooperative’s goal is to have power restored to 95% of its consumer-members by the following times:

• Lafayette County – 11:59 p.m. tonight, Sept. 30.
• Columbia – 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1.
• Hamilton – 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 2.
• Suwannee – 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct 3.