Have you ever wondered what happens when the power goes out? Yes, we all know it gets dark. But how do Walton EMC crews decide whose power to turn on first?
No, it's not based on how friendly - or unfriendly - you are on the phone (though we appreciate a friendly voice), or whether or not you've ever commented on our blog (though we appreciate comments).
Think of power restoration as a big to small concept - an upside down triangle, if you will. Our crews work to restore power to the most consumers first and tackle the small, isolated issues last.
Toward the top of the triangle would be substations. Substations are the hubs that connect transmission lines to main circuits. Main circuits, just under substations in the triangle, carry power throughout our service territory. They are the backbone of our system.
Moving down the triangle, below main circuits, are taps, which carry power to a smaller number of consumers (such as a subdivision) from the main circuits. And finally at the bottom there are service wires, supplying power to just one or two locations.
Obviously, it makes more sense to start at the top and work our way to the bottom. It would be pointless to prepare a service wire to a location if the tap was also out. For a more detailed description of the process, click here.
So that's what we do when the power goes out. Of course, there a lots more dedicated employees who work long hours to answer phones, alert the media to updates and other behind-the-scenes work, too.
There are also things you can do when the power goes out, from staying safe to making yourself a little more comfortable sans electricity. Our storm center is a great resource for all things outage related.
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