Dear Members,
This month, I’d like to talk about power outages.
We’ve had a few large outages recently. In October, members in the Parkdale area were disrupted by a bird strike that damaged a substation regulator. These members were disrupted again several days later by a plane crashing into the Bonneville Power Administration power and fiber transmission lines. The 2nd outage also caused an internet service and cellphone outage because earlier in the day, a contractor accidentally dug through our alternate fiber path.
In mid-November, some Odell members were affected by a planned power outage when Pacific Power needed to repair damage to its transmission line that serves our substation in Odell.
While our goal is to keep the lights on for you, it’s good to be prepared for more outages as winter quickly approaches.
When storms cause multiple outages, we prioritize our response to restore outages affecting the largest numbers of members first. Sometimes, we need to quickly deenergize additional lines to safely complete repairs or minimize equipment damage. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during the repair process.
During our business hours, we take your outage calls in our office. After hours, we use a nationwide answering service for electric cooperatives. Call-takers may not have information about the causes of specific outages or know when repairs will be completed, and they may need to keep conversations brief when many members are trying to call in. Please be prepared to provide your name, address and phone number.
It’s also helpful to know if you’ve seen trees on lines, broken wires or other potential outage causes. Remember, if you see a downed line, stay at least 50 feet away, keep others away, and call (541) 354-1233 or 911 immediately to report it. Downed lines can be energized even if they look completely harmless.
During widespread outages, we use our Facebook page - Hood River Electric Cooperative, to share periodic updates as we complete our restoration. We do our best to keep you in the loop, but our repair priorities may change with evolving conditions or events.
Our crews work as quickly as safety allows to restore your service. They work long hours in all conditions. Even so, restoration during major storms can sometimes take a few days. That’s why we encourage you to prepare in advance. A home emergency kit can help you and your family stay safe and comfortable while we complete our repair work. Visit the Outage Preparation page to learn about preparing for winter weather and possible outages.
Safely restoring your service is our highest priority when outages occur. Rest assured, our crews are ready to answer the call if the need arises. Let’s all hope for a trouble-free and enjoyable winter season.
General Manager
Libby Calnon