| Q |
What are priorities for service restoration? |
| A |
Priorities emphasize health, safety and essential services - and restoration of service to the greatest number of members first, then smaller numbers.
CEC's power is primarily generated by Western Farmers Electric Cooperative power plants, then carried on their transmission lines to substations across our service area. At the substations, CEC's distribution lines pick up and carry power throughout the region. Like tributaries off a major river, these feeder lines branch off to tap lines and finally to the service line that feeds you.
It must be a priority, therefore, to restore service in the same order as outlined above. As you can see, it would be a waste of critical time to repair a service line to a house, for example, if the main feeder serving it was also damaged. |
| Q |
At what point should I call CEC? |
| A |
You should always call CEC when you experience an outage. This is especially important if you see lines or poles down, sparking, or potential hazards preventing you from leaving your property or blocking any roadway. You should understand, however, that emergency situations sometimes overload telephones. Keep calling until you reach the dispatch office at 1-800-868-8243. This number is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Your trouble call will be answered as soon as humanly possible, given the extent of the storm damage. |
| Q |
How does CEC provide for people with life sustaining equipment? With power-sensitive equipment? |
| A |
If you have medical equipment necessary to sustain life or avoid severe medical complications, notify your cooperative at once - don't wait for an emergency. The dispatch office keeps a list of such members so service restoration may be properly prioritized. Priority consideration is given to these households in the event of an interruption of service such as a severe storm. It's important to note, however, that no one can guarantee service continuity. If you use special medical equipment, you should make advance arrangements either for emergency backup power or to relocate to a hospital or other facility during emergencies.
If you have power sensitive equipment like minnow tanks, electronics, dairy or other special business or personal needs, call you cooperative today at 1 800 868-8243 and let us know so that we may properly prioritize service restoration. Also, we can notify you in the event we must shut off your power for maintenance needs. But don't forget that no energy provider is immune from severe weather and you should make plans for emergency service interruption needs (generators, etc). |
| Q |
What should I do to prepare for a storm? |
| A |
Listen to emergency recommendations provided by lead agencies such as local emergency management, civil defense, Red Cross, or police. Follow their recommendations.
If you're preparing to leave home in a major storm, we suggest you unplug or turn off appliances. Even if you remain at home, it's still a good idea to turn off or unplug most appliances except lighting. This reduces the chance of overloading circuits when power is restored. It's also an important safety factor should you later leave home and forget you had appliances such as a stove or iron on when the power went out. |
| Q |
When looking at damaged poles and line, how can I tell the difference between downed telephone, cable television and electrical lines? How can I tell if standing water with wires in it is electrified? |
| A |
You can't. Consider all cables and wires energized, whether electrical, cable television or telephone. After a storm any wire can be energized if it falls or gets wrapped around an energized line, whether a few feet or a block away. If a line is in water, there is even more reason to be cautious. Consider it and the water energized. |
| Q |
How should I hook up my portable generator? |
| A |
Connecting a portable or recreational vehicle (RV) generator to home wiring can cause safety problems. Ideally, appliances should be directly plugged into a generator. If you must hook the generator to the main electric panel, it is very important to disconnect your home from CEC's electrical system first. If not disconnected, power can flow from your generator into outside utility lines and kill or injure crews working on the lines - even some distance away. You could even injure a neighbor if power from your generator flows along common lines to another house.
When electrical service is restored to your area, disconnect your generator before turning on power to your home. If you don't the generator can be damaged. When using a generator, make sure it has proper ventilation - it should only be operated outside. Remember the generator's rated wattage is a function of the number of appliances it will power. The wattage of lights or other appliances run off the generator as a total should not exceed the rated wattage of the generator. The manufacturer's recommendations must be followed for proper usage and load. If you have any doubts, consult a qualified electrician. |
| Q |
How will fallen trees be handled? |
| A |
CEC will remove trees and debris preventing service restoration. You should not attempt to remove or trim foliage within 10 feet of any power line at any time. If a power line has fallen, contact CEC - do not get close to it. |
| Q |
What should I do after I report my outage in a major storm? |
| A |
In a MAJOR STORM, assume you may be without power for some time. Turn off electric appliances (like iron or hot plates) so you won't create a safety hazard when the power is turned back on. Remember to include air-conditioning among appliances you turn off. NEVER report hazardous situations by Email. ALWAYS call the office at 1-800-868-8243 so we may respond immediately! |
| Q |
Does CEC ever cut off power in advance because of anticipated damage? |
| A |
We do not de-energize facilities because of anticipated damage such as flooding, ice or high winds. The disconnect devices on electrical equipment remains energized until a storm causes them to operate as designed and shut off current. |
| Q |
Why did a CEC line crew pass by my house without stopping? |
| A |
It probably is because before service may be restored to you and your neighbors, work must be completed at another location. |
| Q |
May I hire my own electrician to repair CEC's equipment? |
| A |
Electricians are not allowed to work on CEC equipment. He/she has neither the training nor the equipment to do so safely. Your electrician is the proper individual, however, to handle work from the meter to the house, or with circuit breakers or home wiring. CEC has an Electrician Serve with a licensed electrician on hand. We feel this service is more capable to serve you, the member, because not only does he know how professionally wired residential and commercial dwellings should be, he also works with CEC's lineman, which gives him better knowledge of how electricity is brought to your residence. |
| Q |
When my power comes back on after a storm, will it stay on? |
| A |
Once your service is restored every effort will be made to keep it on. Keep in mind, however, that as we repair other parts of the system, some interruptions may be required. In addition, CEC works closely with county, city and state agencies. At their request, we may have to interrupt a circuit if there is a fire or some other emergency. And during ice storms, it is not uncommon for the weight of ice on the line or surrounding trees to cause power lines to break. If the storm continues, a crew may restore your power, and then, with the further accumulation of ice on the lines, your lines may break again. |
| Q |
Why am I the only house around without power? |
| A |
There could be several reasons: Fuses or circuit breakers in your home could have tripped; trees could have fallen on your service; the transformer that serves you could have a blown fuse or other damage; the primary line could be de-energized because of damage; many CEC lines have more than one wire and your transformer may be the only one connected to the wire that is "dead." |
| Q |
There is damage to the service wire leading to my house. What should I do? |
| A |
Once damage to major lines has been repaired, CEC will work on lines serving individuals. At that time, we will determine if an electrician should fix the damage or if we can. Generally speaking, CEC will repair problems up to the meter. Past the meter, an electrician is needed. |
| Q |
Why do I only have electricity in part of my house? |
| A |
You could have a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse in your home electric panel, resulting in partial service - if so, reset the breaker. Or you may have a broken connector or wire at one of the service leads to your house - if so, call us at 1 800 868-8243. |
| Q |
What if my 3-phase electric motor is running backwards? |
| A |
Turn off your machinery at once and call CEC. |
| Q |
You only sent a crew to look at my damage. Why not one to fix the problem? |
| A |
During major storms, patrols are trained to first assess damage and determine priority and type of crew needed to repair service. |
| Q |
What are special vulnerabilities of underground and overhead electric service? Why doesn't CEC bury all overhead power lines? |
| A |
Overhead services are more exposed to ice, high winds and flying debris. Underground facilities are subject to flooding. Damage to an overhead transformer is often easier to find. Damage to a pad mounted transformer serving underground cable may not be readily visible. Underground lines are susceptible to damage from digging and trenching equipment. And the cost of installing and maintaining underground conductor over hundreds of miles of sparsely populated rural areas would result in an enormous increase in the cost of electricity to you. |
| Q |
What electrical equipment is most likely to be damaged or take longest to repair? |
| A |
Depending on the storm, all equipment is subject to damage. The repair time for a piece of equipment depends on its complexity, function and location. It will take longer to repair damage at a substation than it will to repair or replace a single pole; it will be faster to restore service to facilities accessible by truck than those difficult to reach. Rain or ice may make rural roads impassable. Darkness may cause damage to be hard to find. |
| Q |
How long should restoration take following a storm? What could prolong the effort? |
| A |
CEC's service territory includes some 4,200 miles of electrical distribution line covering some 12,000 square miles in an 8 county region of west-central Oklahoma. Restoration time, therefore, depends to a large degree on how many different lines are significantly damaged. Severe damage to transmission systems would have the most disabling effect on restoration efforts. |
| Q |
What plans does CEC have to bring in outside crews? How about normal service calls and work in areas not affected by the storm? |
| A |
If damage from a storm exceeds our capability to restore service in a reasonable time, we will request crews from other cooperatives. Electric cooperatives work together to assist one another in times of need. In areas not affected by the storm, only a minimum crew will be left to handle calls. Members should expect routine service request calls such as security light repairs or meter connects to be delayed due to the storm.
Our crews work around the clock until service is restored. Following initial assessment, each crew will work 18 hours and then rest. 22. Could damage be avoided if CEC had a maintenance program? CEC has a vary aggressive maintenance program. Storms, however, can produce winds of 120 miles an hour or more. The force generated by tornadic winds can snap a power pole in half or uproot a tree and slam it into utility wires, causing downed power lines. Even newly installed facilities can be destroyed in a severe storm. In addition, no amount of maintenance can protect all lines everywhere from severe ice damage. |
| Q |
What special safety precautions do line crews take to minimize injuries or accidents during storms? How will other CEC employees help in storm restoration? |
| A |
The safety of crews is always a priority at CEC. All personnel follow safe work practices, including receive regular safety training. Every job calls for a tailgate conference - including a review of who will do what and what safety measures will be taken. But during storms, your cooperative crews simply must work in severe weather and dangerous conditions. They are committed to restoring your service in the shortest possible time - they work for you.
CEC trains office workers to provide support to regular crews. Selected office workers have been trained to recognize and report equipment damage in the field. Extra personnel would additionally be brought in to man phones around the clock in our office. The attention of all employees will be on speedy assessment and restoration efforts. |
| Q |
How does CEC know where power is out? |
| A |
CEC expects to determine power outages and damage by your phone calls. Provisions for visual patrols are in place for worst-case situations involving loss of power and telecommunications. Installing the type of equipment needed to remotely determine the extent of outages would be extraordinarily expensive for members. The cooperative solution is to work together to isolate problems.
Your patience and understanding of the enormity of the task of restoring electric service in a highly devastated area will be of the utmost importance to crews working around the clock. |
| Q |
How many phone calls can CEC handle in emergencies? What additional manpower is put in place? |
| A |
In an emergency, CEC establishes a special emergency restoration organization to focus all personnel and resources on restoration efforts. Extra personnel are brought in to man every phone until service is restored to all members. We have five incoming phone lines, ample except during the most severe conditions. Please - if you get a busy signal, call back! We are depending on you. |
| Q |
Does CEC have insurance to cover damage to its system from a storm? Will there be a rate increase to pay for repair and restoration? |
| A |
CEC has no storm damage insurance and cannot obtain it. We maintain a line of credit in excess of $6.5 million to cover storm-related costs. Your Board of Trustees oversee rate making. Because we are a nonprofit cooperative, we do not maintain a large reserve fund for emergencies. Our goal is to keep rates as low as possible. As a result, a disastrous major storm could result in a situation where we must request a rate increase sufficient to handle increased payments and interest for storm-related loans. The odds we increase rates because of a storm is highly unlikely. |
| Q |
If CEC does not get my power back on within a certain time, do you pay for spoiled food? |
| A |
Since CEC has no control over damage done to facilities during storms or other natural disasters, members at large could not be expected to pay for any individual member's food that might spoil due to storm damage and resulting from electric service interruptions. Remember, electrical disturbances that cause you damage are likely to cause your cooperative damage too, but on a much larger scale. One lightning strike, for example, can cause equipment failure to your cooperative costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Therefore, we do all we can to reasonably protect the electric system. You must do your part by protecting your own equipment from any storm damage or loss of power. |
| Q |
Will you pay for damage to personal property due to power quality problems caused by storms? |
| A |
CEC maintains and operates facilities in a manner calculated to provide safe and reliable service. During abnormal weather, we make every effort to provide continuous service, but cannot be responsible for complete or partial failure or interruption of service, or for fluctuations in voltage from causes beyond our control. Just prior to a storm, and during early stages of restoration, members may wish to turn off or limit use of electronically sensitive and/or nonessential appliances. |
| Q |
What about blinking lights? |
| A |
CEC makes every effort to provide reliable, high quality service. We install expensive equipment such as circuit reclosers, lightning arrestors and voltage regulators designed to help make your supply of electricity as dependable as possible. However, in spite of these extra precautions, no one can provide perfect electric service. It is beyond the control of any provider to eliminate interruptions in service. |
| Q |
What causes blinking lights? |
| A |
Many things. Because most power lines are located near roads to make them accessible, they are subject to collisions from vehicles. Even located away from roads, they are still subject to damage due to low flying planes, farm machinery, drilling equipment and large trees in the right-of-ways.
They are also subject to vandals and irresponsible shooters who check gun sights by breaking power line insulators or shoot at equipment filled with cooling oil. Thieves and vandals also remove copper ground wires from poles, equipment, and substations to sell for scrap. This can remove the ground path for lighting and the ground reference for equipment and protective devices which can cause malfunction. It can also be deadly for the person doing the removal
Mother Nature not only provides ice, lighting and high winds, but also birds, snakes and squirrels, all which can short out the best maintained systems. Even underground installations are not immune because gophers, post hole diggers, excavating and drilling equipment cut into service lines. Even lighting strikes overhead supply lines and travels down to underground conductor.
Today, more and more members are installing electronic equipment such as VCRs, digital clocks and home computers, extremely sensitive to minor variations in power supply that have always existed show up with blinking clocks or power being shut off on these appliances. We do are very best to give you the most reliable energy at a fair cost, but you need to also do your part in protecting your equipment. CEC has a full line of surge suppression devices that will help keep your equipment safe, and we will be happy to show you these products. |
country, instead of a couple of blocks through sheltered alleys, they have a much greater chance to be struck by lightning or feel the full effect of tornadic winds than those in town. From time to time emergency situations such as ice storms, high winds or tornadoes strike the area. When storm outages occur, you and your cooperative work together to safely restore service in the shortest time. This spirit of cooperation has been the cornerstone of CEC's success since 1937.