The National Weather Service has a heat advisory in effect now through Thursday evening with temperatures up to 100 expected. Extended periods of dry and hot weather with strong winds can increase the risk of wildfires. We are placing our lines on a “Hotline Tag,” which is the most sensitive setting to protect our system and members by minimizing the risk of igniting or spreading wildfires. We may take additional safety measures, including a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) where we shut off power in high-risk areas to help prevent wildfires during extreme and dangerous weather conditions.
In the event that MEC feels it is necessary to enact a PSPS, we will attempt to provide as much notice as possible to impacted members. Weather and wildfire situations can be dynamic, so advance notice may not always be possible. Our entire service territory is in the high-risk zone, so now is the time to prepare for the possibility of an outage. We encourage members to use this time to ensure your outage kit is fully stocked and to check with those who rely on electricity for medical or other critical needs to make sure they have emergency plans in place. Any changes to electric service that affect our members will be communicated on our website and social platforms.
High sensitivity settings can cause more short outages. Line crews must patrol the lines once the breaker trips, and power is brought back up in sections. This procedure is inconvenient at times, but it is the safest option we have for the protection of our employees and communities. Most of our recent outages were caused by birds coming in contact with our equipment.
For more information about how to prepare for a Public Safety Power Shutoff, please visit our website: https://www.midstateelectric.coop/PSPS
