Power’s out – now what?

If you have a power outage and your meter is on the house:

1. Turn everything off.
2. Check fuses in the main fuse cabinet. Replace both fuses or have fuses checked or check breaker in main service cabinet. Flip breaker off and on and set to the “on” position.
3. If you are not able to check the fuses or breaker, possibly ask a neighbor to check them.
4. If there is any problem with the meter socket, it is the member’s responsibility to have it repaired or replaced.
5. Are there any wires or poles down along the main line?
6. Are there trees on the lines?
7. Did you hear a loud noise outside?

Contact MVEC dispatch for assistance at (952) 492-8255 or (800) 232-2328.

If you have a power outage and your meter is on the yard pole:

1. Turn everything off.
2. Check fuses under meter socket. Replace both fuses or have fuses checked or check breaker under the meter socket. Flip breaker off and on and set to the “on” position.
3. If you are not able to check the fuses or breaker, possibly ask a neighbor to check them.
4. Wires going to other buildings from the yard pole are the member’s own responsibility and the member must get an electrician to make repairs.
5. Are there any wires or poles down along the main line?
6. Are there trees on the lines?
7. Did you hear a load noise outside? Contact MVEC dispatch for assistance at (952) 492-8255 or (800) 232-2328.

1. Keeping the public safe is top priority. Crews will first clear fallen lines from the roadways.
2. Once roadways have been cleared, work begins on restoring power to substations, if necessary. Sometimes service to hundreds of members can be restored immediately by restoring power at the substation.
3. Next, major distribution feeders are repaired. These are the lines that come from the substation. If energy isn’t flowing over these lines, your home cannot receive power.
4. Tap lines are repaired next. These lines carry power to groups of homes from distribution feeders. Sometimes taps need to be disconnected to get the main lines back on.
5. Finally, individual service lines are repaired. While MVEC is responsible for getting the electricity to your meter, members must contact an electrician to repair damage to member-owned electric equipment.

Here’s a video that helps explain it:

More Power Restoration Videos

• Be Storm Ready: Update Your Phone Numbers (length 1:38)
• Food Safety During an Outage (length 2:08)
• How to Prepare an Emergency Kit (length 1:10)
• Automatic Garage Door Openers and Outages (length 1:04)

Q: An MVEC truck just drove right by my house and didn’t stop. Why?
A: The crew you saw was probably working on getting the backbone of MVEC’s electric system repaired. Our first priority in an outage is to get the main power lines back in operation. Not every wire is a main circuit. There are thousands of lines that feed off main circuits (called tap lines). So after the main power lines are energized, we start repairing tap lines next. After trunk lines are functioning, we make repairs that affect the most people at one time. This means repairs affecting only one or two locations will probably be last.

Q: Why does my neighbor have power and I don’t?
A: There may be damage to the service wires leading only to your home, and those wires may not affect your neighbor’s electricity. Your neighbor’s home may be served by a different feed (or different wire) than your home, even though you’re right next door.

Q: I have underground wires to my house. Why did my power go off?
A: Even though the wires to your home are buried, overhead wires may bring electricity to those underground wires from the substation. Power can still be interrupted by other circumstances such as construction (digging) and animal contacts (i.e. gophers).

Q: Doesn’t MVEC automatically know when my power is out?
A: Not necessarily. It is very important for all members to call us when they experience an outage, which helps us identify the location and the extent of the outage.

Q: When I called in my outage, I received an automated message.
A: MVEC makes every effort to answer each call with a live person, but when large call volumes are experienced, we rely on our automated phone system to eliminate busy signals or long hold times. The data we receive when members call in to report an outage helps us track and predict the extent of the outage. The automated system can inform you if a crew has been assigned to your outage, the estimated time of restoration and the option of receiving a callback after the power has been restored. This automated system works best if we have your current phone number on file. When you call, that number is immediately identified by our system and entered into our data. Do you need to update your phone number?

Q: I’m on the Critical Service Load list due to a medical condition. Why wouldn’t my power be the first to be restored?
A: MVEC isn’t necessarily able to restore service to Critical Service Load locations first. We must repair the damage to the backbone of the electric system before turning our attention to individual priority accounts. Members who depend on electrical equipment for a medical necessity should always have alternate plans in place in case the power goes out for an extended amount of time. This may include a backup power source, extra medical supplies or an alternate location until the outage is over.

• Turn off lights and small appliances; unplug computers, TVs and stereos. This helps avoid a surge in usage when the power is restored.
• Limit freezer and refrigerator door openings. Food will keep longer if doors remain closed. Check items for spoilage before serving. Food safety during an outage
• Do not use charcoal or gas grills indoors for cooking or heating. They produce carbon monoxide.
• If it is a winter outage, try to keep outside door openings to a minimum and use blankets, sleeping bags and extra clothes to help stay warm. Dress in layers and wear a hat. Cover drafty windows and doors with blankets. Close off doors and stay in the room with your heat source.
• Run a generator only through a properly installed transfer switch or plug appliances directly into the generator using a properly sized extension cord. Do not run the generator in enclosed spaces.

• Assemble an emergency kit including candles, matches, firewood, battery-operated radio and clock, extra blankets, sleeping bags, containers for storing water, portable fire extinguisher, easily-prepared foods, canned goods and manual can opener. How to prepare an emergency kit
• Many cordless phones require electricity and may not work during an outage. Keep your cell phones charged. When the power is off:
  • Turn off lights and small appliances; unplug computers, TVs and stereos. This helps avoid a surge in usage when the power is restored.
  • Limit freezer and refrigerator door openings. Food will keep longer if doors remain closed. Check items for spoilage before serving. Food safety during an outage
  • Do not use charcoal or gas grills indoors for cooking or heating. They produce carbon monoxide.
• If it is a winter outage, try to keep outside door openings to a minimum and use blankets, sleeping bags and extra clothes to help stay warm. Dress in layers and wear a hat. Cover drafty windows and doors with blankets. Close off doors and stay in the room with your heat source.
• Run a generator only through a properly installed transfer switch or plug appliances directly into the generator using a properly sized extension cord. Do not run the generator in enclosed spaces.

When is my power coming back on?
This is by far the most asked question, and we wish we had a crystal ball. There are just too many factors to consider, and each outage is different. When the co-op is dealing with a small, one location outage, our average restoration time is just over an hour. But when 5,000-plus households are out will take longer due to outage complexity, time and manpower. You might be one of the first neighborhoods restored, or the last, and to give an estimated time would not be accurate due to unexpected situations that arise during widespread outages.

Why do some outages take longer to restore?
When an after-hours storm hits, our linemen are at their homes, their kids’ ball games, out to dinner and basically enjoying evening activities like everyone else. To be prepared, our on-call crews take bucket trucks and other utility vehicles home, but once notified of an outage they still have to “suit up” and drive to the outage location, assess the situation (often patrolling miles of power line to find the cause of the outage) and, at times need to return to the co-op’s warehouse to get additional materials, such as poles and power transformers to make repairs. Sometimes the fix is as easy as resetting a fuse but sometimes it involves replacing a broken pole.

Who cleans up the fallen tree, branches or storm debris?
Storm damage clean up is the responsibility of the property owner.

Are there fewer mosquitoes up on top of the poles?
No, in fact they, along with deer flies, are terrible according to line foreman Randy Breeggemann. Despite being armed with bug spray (and sunscreen), the pests are attracted to sweat and, at the night, the safety lights the linemen wear on their helmets. “That’s why even when it’s hot, we usually have to wear long sleeves to keep them off our arms,” said Breeggemann.

How do you decide where to restore power first?
Safety is always the first priority. Crews give immediate attention to dangerous situations, such as power lines down on roadways or streets. After that, the substations and primary lines, where the greatest number of members can be restored at once receive attention. Crews then focus on smaller lines to restore power to smaller groups of members. Last, crews work on damage to individual service connections.

My home or building is still out of power, and the reports say my area has been restored. What’s up?
Your lack of power could be due to equipment that is your responsibility to maintain. MVEC maintains the system up to a connect point. For underground service, that is either a transformer, pedestal or underground connection point at a meter socket. For overhead lines, the connect point is usually the mast on your home. You will need to consult an electrician for these repairs.

What can I, as a member, do to help?
1. Falling trees and branches are the number one cause of MVEC power outages. No one likes cutting down trees, but MVEC does have right of way clearance to remove branches that interfere with power lines. If you have a tree that is close to an overhead line, contact the co-op.
2. Your correct phone numbers on file with our office helps us restore outages quicker. When you call, your location is automatically added to our system, which gives dispatchers a better idea of where problem areas exist. Update your most-used phone numbers (home or cell) by filling out this form.

If you are on MVEC’s Critical Service Load list, we can notify you prior to a planned outage allowing you to make alternative arrangements. In the event of an unplanned outage, the cooperative’s restoration process requires the backbone of the system to be restored first. Members on the Critical Service Load list will be placed at the top of the restoration list.

Members with critical health issues should be prepared with back-up plans in case of an outage.

 

If you believe your household qualifies for the Critical Service Load list, please get a physicians note, on clinic letterhead, and send it to the address below. Upon receipt, MVEC will call to confirm your phone and location number.

Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative
Attention: Dispatch Center
125 Minnesota Valley Electric Drive
Jordan, MN 55352