Outages

• Fallen Trees and Tree Limbs: Southside Virginia is known for its beautiful, tree-filled landscapes, a perk of living in a rural area with plenty of natural scenery. However, with this abundance of trees comes the downside - when strong winds, storms, or ice hit,
  falling branches and entire trees can take down power lines, leading to outages. While trees enhance the area's charm and provide environmental benefits, it also means the area is more susceptible to weather-related power disruptions.
• Equipment Failure: Occurs when there is a disruption to the flow of electricity through system equipment. In some cases, this can happen on the transmission system owned by another electric provider before power reaches SEC’s system. When this occurs, it can prevent SEC from receiving and delivering electricity to members.
• Severe Weather: Thunderstorms, hurricanes, and ice storms are common causes of outages, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and ice accumulation that can bring down power lines and trees. Severe thunderstorms typically cause more outages in a given year than any other event. While they may not be as impactful as a hurricane or ice storm, they occur with much higher frequency.
• Wildlife Interference: Squirrels, birds, snakes, and other animals can come into contact with electrical equipment such as transformers, power lines, and substations – some can also chew through wiring and insulation causing localized outages.
• Vehicle Accidents: When a vehicle crashes into a utility pole, it can cause a power outage in the area. The crash might damage the pole and power lines, and sometimes the electricity needs to be turned off to keep everyone safe.

There are several common reasons you may experience blinking or flickering lights. While the terms are often used interchangeably, they describe different situations and can have different causes.

Blinking Lights

A blink is a brief, momentary loss of power where your lights go completely out and then immediately come back on.

Momentary blinks are often a normal part of how SEC's electric system operates to maintain reliability and protect equipment.

Common causes of blinking lights include:

• Tree branches contacting power lines
• Wildlife
• Lightning
• Vehicle accidents
• Other temporary disturbances on the electric system

SEC uses protective devices, such as circuit breakers and reclosers, to detect and clear these temporary disturbances. These devices briefly interrupt power to clear the fault and then quickly restore service.

What to expect:

• Reclosers may operate up to four times while attempting to restore power.
• Depending on your location, you may notice anywhere from no blinks to four brief blinks.
• If the disturbance clears, power is restored almost immediately.
• If the disturbance remains, the affected section of the line is isolated to protect equipment, ensure public safety, and minimize the number of members impacted by the outage.

When it is safe to do so, SEC also works to reroute power (backfeed) to restore service to as many members as possible while repairs are being made.

Flickering Lights

A flicker is when your lights repeatedly dim, brighten, or fluctuate without going completely out.

Common causes of flickering lights include:

• Loose electrical connections
• Overloaded circuits
• Failing appliances
• In some cases, issues on the electric distribution system

If you experience persistent or recurring flickering, additional investigation may be needed to determine the cause.

What should I do?

• • If the flickering affects your entire home, occurs frequently, or your neighbors are experiencing the same issue, contact SEC so we can investigate our equipment and the electric distribution system.
  • If our equipment is not the cause, you may need to contact a qualified electrician to inspect your home's electrical system.

SEC encourages all members to report their outage and check the outage map for updates. Meters do not automatically report outages to the system operations center. While SEC does have a monitoring system that can tell when large devices or large sections of the system are without power, SEC does not automatically know when your individual service goes out.

Restoring electricity during an outage is a carefully coordinated process that starts with prioritizing critical infrastructure (hospitals, emergency services, water treatment plants, etc.). SEC also works with agencies such as VDOT to clear downed lines across public
roadways, as needed.

SEC then prioritizes repairs that will restore service to the greatest number of members. While we prioritize restoring power to the greatest number of members as safely as possible, there are a few exceptions:

• Safety Concerns: If there are downed power lines or other hazards, crews must address these immediately to protect the public and workers.
• Accessibility: Some smaller outages may be more accessible or require quicker repairs, allowing crews to restore power in those areas while waiting for additional resources for larger repairs.
• Resource Allocation: Crews are deployed strategically based on the specific skills and equipment needed for each repair, which may result in smaller outages being restored first.

When your power goes out, you want to know when it will come back on. That’s where the Estimated Time of Restoration (ETOR) comes in.

• Once a crew arrives at an outage, they assess safety hazards, identify the cause, and evaluate the damage. If more personnel or equipment are needed, they notify system operators. Based on their findings, an initial estimated time of restoration (ETOR) is provided.
• The ETOR is the best estimate at the time, but safety always comes first. While SEC strives for accuracy, unexpected circumstances may extend the restoration timeline

Safety Protocols: Crews often need to patrol the lines and inspect the area before they can safely restore power. This ensures there are no hazards, such as downed lines or damaged equipment, that could pose a risk to both the crew and the public. For instance, SEC uses a variety of contract personnel to locate and report damage to our system during large outages. These personnel may patrol lines in your neighborhood, find an issue, and then report back to our system operations center so that the appropriate crew can be assigned to make repairs.

Complex Repairs: Sometimes, the outage is more complex than initially assessed. The crew might need specialized equipment or additional materials that are not already on trucks, requiring them to leave and return after acquiring said equipment back at the
stocked warehouse or another staging point. Another specialized crew may be needed for the next step in restoration.

Multiple Causes: There might be multiple faults in the system. Crews could fix 1 problem only to discover another disruption further down the line, requiring additional repairs

There could be multiple reasons why your power remains out while others around you have service. Your home may be on a different circuit, or additional repairs may be needed for your specific location. A circuit is like a highway for electricity, delivering power from substations to large areas. Once a circuit is repaired, many members will see their power restored. However, some outages may be caused by damage to tap lines - smaller power lines that branch off from the main circuit to serve neighborhoods and individual homes, similar to side roads connecting to a highway.

Stay at least 35 feet away and assume any downed line is energized and dangerous. Do not attempt to move or touch it. Report it immediately by calling 911.

Yes, during a typical power outage, SEC dispatches all available crews and resources to work overnight, restoring power as safely and quickly as possible.

We understand how critical electricity is for members with medical needs. If you or a member of your household depends on electric-powered equipment for medical necessity, we strongly encourage to always have alternate plans in place if the power goes out. This may include a backup power source, extra medical supplies, or an alternate location until power is restored. We advise consulting with your medical professional for guidance during situations like power outages. In the case of a life-threatening situation, call 911.