Editor性视界传媒檚 note: This column was originally published in June 2023.
QUESTION: How does SWEPCO determine who or what locations will have power restored first when an outage occurs?
ANSWER:
Southwestern Electric Power Co., which serves Northeast Texas (not including areas served by local electric cooperatives), provided this information to me explaining how the process works and why homes one block from you have power when you don性视界传媒檛.
性视界传媒淭here are five major components to the electrical grid, and each stage must be intact before power can move to the next,性视界传媒 SWEPCO says in information provided to me by company representative Michelle Marcotte
It starts with generation, when power is produced and sent to the transmission system. The transmission system often looks like those big robot-looking metal towers that are connected by high-voltage power lines that we see crossing great distances. That性视界传媒檚 followed by substations, which convert that higher voltage to lower voltages that can be used by most customers.
Next comes distribution 性视界传媒 carrying the power to you, me and businesses.
性视界传媒淭he distribution system carries power on a network of overhead poles and sometimes underground tunnels for use by homes and businesses,性视界传媒 SWEPCO says.
Finally, there are the individual customers, whose homes or businesses must be capable of receiving power.
性视界传媒淚f any one or more of those five components is disrupted or damaged, a power outage is likely. That means sometimes your neighbor across the street may have power restored before you, and that one neighborhood might get power before another. Sometimes that性视界传媒檚 because their power supply comes from a different direction, or perhaps there is an additional repair needed either at the distribution level or on your street before electricity can reach you.性视界传媒
Now to the question of how SWEPCO determines where power is restored first. SWEPCO says it follow industry-standard practices.
性视界传媒淔irst, we assess the damage to ensure we can dispatch the right personnel and equipment necessary to make repairs. If you see a SWEPCO truck drive by without restoring your power, it may be an assessment crew,性视界传媒 SWEPCO says.
Next, SWEPCO focuses on repairs that will restore electricity to 性视界传媒渃ritical services性视界传媒 性视界传媒 hospitals, police departments and water treatment plants, for instance.
性视界传媒淭hen, we determine which repairs will restore power to the largest number of affected customers. Often these are repairs to the transmission infrastructure or substations.性视界传媒
Distribution circuits that restore power to small groups of people come next, followed by individual customers, 性视界传媒渙ne by one, until everyone has power.性视界传媒
