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 Winter-weather plans
Jan 1, 2010
Some weather observers have forecast that this winter in the southeastern United States will be both wetter and colder than normal. That combination raises the likelihood our Blue Ridge service area will have endured one or more storm emergencies by the time spring arrives.
The cooperative’s best defense against storm damage is to keep our system of nearly 7,000 miles of power lines in the best possible condition. Although the present economic recession has slowed system growth to a crawl, the downturn hasn’t diminished our determination to move forward with planned improvements to these electric-distribution facilities. During the four-year period ending in 2012, Blue Ridge will invest another $67 million in its electric plant.
However, a severe enough ice or snowstorm can inflict massive destruction on even the best-maintained power lines. There’s no work action or other steps the cooperative or any other utility can take to prevent widespread outages when heavy, frozen precipitation strikes a geographic area.
Plan B
In that event, “Plan B” is immediately put into effect. That means Blue Ridge will attack the storm emergency with everything it has in the way of personnel and other resources.
The prime example of this robust reaction came with the December 2005 ice-storm emergency, which produced—by far—the greatest system devastation in the cooperative’s history. Before that mess was cleaned up, Blue Ridge had put 100 of its own employees into the field and had called in another 350 outside workers to assist with the repair effort. With the rest of our work force providing support to the crews in the field, we managed to restore every member’s service within five days. By anyone’s estimation, that was a monumental accomplishment.
Tried-and-true process
In any storm emergency, our goal is to get power restored to the most members in the shortest possible period of time. That goal is ultimately accomplished by following a tried-and-true systematic process for repairing damage to our power lines.
As a member-owned utility, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative is determined to deliver the finest in quality service. That’s our commitment to you as we stay on high alert for whatever Mother Nature might send our way.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Dalton
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