The steps to restoring power

Fortunately, most outages are due to local, community area problems such as a broken power poles due to a car accident or a single transformer or tree problem. In these cases there is only one problem to correct and the following steps are not required.

However, when there is are widespread service area outages caused by an ice storm, a severe thunderstorm, or a hurricane, following are the sequential processes that Coastal Electric follows when restoring power. These processes work in the direction beginning with the power source, for example generation or main transmission towers, to substations to main distribution lines to tap or branch lines and then to lines that serve individuals. These steps result in restoring power to the maximum number of members in the shortest time possible.

Step 1. Transmission towers and lines supply power to one or more substations, and a problem with one of these lines could interrupt the electric power to several thousand consumers.

Step 2. A problem within a substation could cause all of the consumers being served from that substation to be without electric service. Also, if the problem is limited to one particular circuit leaving the substation, only those consumers on that specific circuit would be without electric service. If the problem can be corrected at the substation level, power may be restored to a large number of people.

Step 3. Main distribution lines carry power from the substation, and each line serves a portion of the consumers from the substation. A problem on a specific line could leave hundreds of consumers without electric service, but when repaired could restore power to hundreds of people.

Step 4. Tap lines are the branch lines that serve a smaller number of consumers from the main lines similar to the way in which secondary roads provide access from main roads. A fault on a tap line would interrupt electric service to those consumers being served by that line only. Even after the break on the tap line is repaired, the consumers on that tap line would still be without electric power until the main line is repaired.

Step 5. Problems with lines that serve individual farms, homes and businesses are pursued next. A more localized problem affects the electric service to an individual member, while the remaining system can still have electric service.

Coastal Electric does try to give special attention to outages that may pose immediate danger, e.g. those agencies that protect life and property. Fire departments, rescue squads, as well as consumers who require various types of life sustaining equipment are among such outages that require special attention.