From proactive maintenance to thoughtful engineering and planning, the Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative operations team does everything possible to reduce the possibility of power outages.
Despite our best efforts, storms, falling tree limbs, vehicles and animals can cause the power to fail. Sometimes all it takes is a squirrel climbing critical electrical equipment to cause a short circuit. Whatever the reason, our crews always works as fast as they safely can in all kinds of weather to get your power restored.
Our No. 1 focus will always be public safety. That means our crews will first clear lines and equipment that could pose safety hazards to the public. After that, if necessary, come transmission line and substation equipment repairs. Then your co-op will focus on feeder lines that can serve as many as 3,000 members, then tap lines that provide power to 20–30 homes or businesses, and finally connections to individual members.
During this process, crews will generally first make repairs to lines that power facilities critical to public health and safety—like hospitals, police and fire stations, water treatment plants, and communications systems. How long it takes to get your power restored depends on the extent of the storm’s destruction, the number of outages and sometimes working through issues that restrict access to lines like flooding that must subside before it is safe for co-op personnel to get to the damaged areas.
Whether it’s a long outage or a short one, these tips can help keep your family safe and comfortable:
Call TVEC immediately at (800) 967-9324 to report the outage, or use outage texting. If you haven’t already, visit tvec.net or contact member services to sign up for outage texting.
Be prepared with battery backups or alternate plans for medical needs that require electric power.
Have a storm kit prepared in advance. It should include flashlights, a battery-operated radio, batteries and first-aid supplies.
If you have a generator, follow all safety guidelines and precautions in the owner’s manual to prevent shock hazards and carbon monoxide poisoning. Never attempt to supply power to your home’s wiring without first installing the proper safety disconnect equipment.
We will always work to supply reliable service to your home. When outages do occur, your safety is our top priority. Follow TVEC on social media and at tvec.net for more safety information and updates regarding large outages.
