EMCs Making Progress in Power Restoration, Significant Repairs Still Ahead
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Posted by: Kim Broun
TUCKER, Ga. – EMCs are seeing progress as their statewide outage numbers have dropped to approximately 259,000 EMC members without power as of 12:30 p.m. today. This is down from approximately 435,000 following the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Even with this considerable progress, EMCs are expecting several more days of outages, with the hardest hit areas expected to be out of power at least a week or more.
Since restoration efforts began, fixed-wing planes and helicopters have flown the state’s transmission lines to assess and locate damage. The extent of the damage seen is unprecedented, including hundreds of trees on transmission lines and toppled towers. Georgia Transmission reports that 80 of the more than 100 electrical substations that were knocked out by Helene are now at full operation. High-voltage transmission line repair proves to be more challenging, but progress is still being made.
Electric service is unable to be delivered to individual homes and businesses until these long-distance, high-voltage transmission facilities are brought back online. As Georgia Transmission works on those repairs, EMC crews continue work on the distribution side, repairing lines in preparation to receive power as substation and transmission lines come back on. This damage is extensive on distribution lines as well, with thousands of broken poles, countless trees on lines and broken wires that need to be replaced.
To increase the momentum of restoration efforts, several EMCs on the lesser impacted western side of the state have restored power in their service areas and are sending crews to EMCs in east Georgia. This is in addition to the crews that arrived in advance of Helene and immediately following the storm’s exit from Georgia. States that have sent crews to aid in Georgia’s restoration include Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio and Alabama.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association reports Hurricane Helene knocked out power to an estimated 1.25 million co-op members in the U.S., and is proving to be one of the most consequential storms in the 87-year history of electric cooperatives. The outpouring of support by EMC members and affected communities has been tremendous as EMCs and their members work together in Helene’s aftermath.
While everyone’s circumstances are unique, EMCs recommend those dependent on electricity for medical needs relocate to an area with electricity, secure a generator from a friend or neighbor, or seek help at a local medical facility. EMCs are doing everything possible to restore power, but do not want anyone to remain in a dangerous situation if the wait for restoration is longer than expected.
Safety Tips:
Safety continues to be a top priority in the restoration process. We recommend individuals keep a safe distance from crews working and stay away from downed power lines. Those that are using a generator as a temporary power source should follow the recommended generator safety tips, listed below, for the duration of the outage.
Generator Usage and Safety:
• If using a generator, follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and all safety guidelines.
• Never operate a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors, such as in your home, crawlspace, basement, or garage.
• Never connect generators to another power source, such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or "backfeed" can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.
Outage Information:
A map showing current outages by region, updated every 15 minutes, can be found at http://www.georgiaemc.com/outages. To report power outages and gain more detailed outage and restoration updates, customers should contact their local EMC provider.
About Georgia EMC:
Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state’s 41 electric cooperatives, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia’s customer-owned co-ops provide electricity and related services to 4.4 million people, nearly half of Georgia’s population, across 73 percent of the state’s land area. To learn more, visit www.georgiaemc.com and follow us on Facebook and X.
About Georgia Transmission:
Georgia Transmission Corp., a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 38 Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), owns more than 5,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 780 substations. These facilities deliver power to Georgia’s EMCs providing electricity to more than 4.5 million Georgians. For more information, visit gatransmission.com.
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