Links to: Backup Generator, Damaged Electric Facilities, Safety & Outage Tips, ECI REC Outage Map (large outages), Iowa Electric Cooperatives Outage Map (total outages)

UPDATE: 8/16/20 @ 7:30 a.m. (revised 11:55 a.m.)

Some good news this morning! Last evening, crews were able to complete the emergency period of restoration. All accounts that are safe to energize should have power to the meter. Initial numbers are showing we have around 20 member accounts that are too damaged to restore; however, there could be more we are not aware of due to the damages our system communications (SCADA and AMI equipment) sustained from the storm damages.

The mutual aid crews have been released. ECI crews will continue working to get the remaining members back on line today (Sunday), if and where possible. Next week, crews will begin to tighten up the temporary system fixes to bring them up to standards, as there are many pole sets that are only temporary.

If members are still without power and we have not been in touch with you, please phone in your outage so we can note your account and get you taken care of when it is possible to do so. 

Remember, if you have down lines from your meter pole to your home or outbuildings, this is likely your responsibility and we encourage you to reach out to your electrician.

UPDATE: 8/15/20 @ 2:00 p.m.

At noon today, we showed 274 member-accounts without power, 45 of which are individual outages identified following the initial restoration efforts. At the time of this post, crews have knocked it down to 241 outages.

This past week, crews have reset around 150 poles and put up 15+ miles of distribution line sections. We have three substations (Homer, Big Grove, and Van Horne) still awaiting transmission. Operations reports things are taking shape, and by the end of the day tomorrow we hope to primarily be down to those individual outages. ECI REC crews will continue to work through those individual outages throughout next week.

Some of our mutual aid crews will head home today, with the other mutual aid and Highline crews going home tomorrow. A big thank you to our mutual aid co-ops, North West REC and Racoon Valley Electric Cooperative. A special thank you to the line personnel who left their homes and families to help get ECI REC members back online—you were all instrumental in speeding restoration. Thank you to:

• North West REC line personnel: Tracy Bahrenfuss, Mike Berkenpas, Jon Heiliger, Alex Jungers, Luke Lathrop, Robin Maassen
• Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative line personnel: Keith Greving, Kevin Greving, and Matt Schwarzkopf

We’d also like to thank our long-time contractor Highline Construction, who always seems to deliver when there’s a need such as we experienced this week. Thanks to Rick and the crews who helped us out!

Until we regain transmission to the above three substations, our system remains under stress, and if circuits become overworked they could fail, causing another outage. We are still are encouraging members to conserve energy and use only the electricity you absolutely need.

Come Sunday/Monday if your neighbors have lights and you do not, please call our office so we can note your account. Also, if you have down lines from your meter pole to your home or outbuildings, this is likely your responsibility and we encourage you to reach out to your electrician.

Again, thank you for your patience, and a thank you to members who’ve reached out with words of encouragement and gratitude. We share those words with the crews, and they are much appreciated!  

UPDATE: 8/14/20 @ 3:00 p.m. (revised 8/26/20)

As of 2:00 p.m. today, ECI REC had 581 member-consumers without power, many fed by ECI REC’s Van Horn substation, which is awaiting transmission power to its south circuit. This is an area where they are rebuilding 26 double-circuit transmission structures. We were told this will take two more days, so members may need to anticipate being without power until Sunday evening to Monday morning if all goes as they plan.

Members need to be advised that until ECI REC can re-energize it’s Van Horn substation, we will not know entirely the damages our distribution system may have sustained. There could still be individual outages. Come Sunday/Monday, if your neighbors have lights and you do not, please call our office so we can note your account.

Also, if you have down lines from your meter pole to your home or outbuildings, this is likely your responsibility and we encourage you to reach out to your electrician.

For generator users,  here’s a tip from a fellow ECI REC member: Remember most generators need the oil changed every 50 running hours to avoid damages or shutdown issues.

As of this post, ECI REC is still awaiting transmission to four of our substations. Though we have been able to partially energize these four subs by back-feeding/rerouting from seven operational substations, this is only a Band-Aid fix. When overworked, they could fail, causing another outage. We are still are encouraging members to conserve energy and use only the electricity you absolutely need. By taking just a few simple steps, members can help lighten the demand on ECI REC’s already stressing substations.

We assure you we are doing everything possible to get the most members on as our system is capable of handling and/or can handle safely. Thank you for your patience.

8/14/20, 2:00 p.m.

UPDATE: 8/13/20 @ 3:00 p.m. (revised 8/26/20)

This morning, we started with 950 member-accounts without power. As of 2:00 p.m. today, we are down to 860 member-accounts without power.

Transmission restoration is key to getting the Van Horne and Shellsburg substations energized, as we are not able to back-feed or re-route power to these two subs. As previously noted, these two areas were some of the hardest hit by the storm. Following an update from ECI REC’s power supplier, we are hopeful the Shellsburg sub could come on yet today. Unfortunately, the Van Horne sub area needs 26 double-circuit transmission structures. This will take some time.

Members, please take note: if we are able to get the Shellsburg sub energized by the end of the day today, we anticipate there will be individual members who may still not have power due to the damages in this area in terms of trees and debris. The individual outages will be another step in the restoration process, as it may take a bit to get these identified.

We appreciate your patience and assure you everyone is giving it their all to get your power restored.

UPDATE: 8/12/20 @ 11:30 a.m.

Members who have power and live in ECI REC’s southern service area: Please help us help your fellow members and conserve energy, using only the electricity you absolutely need. The two fully energized substations we are using to re-route power to partially energize other substations are stretched to their full capacity. When these re-routed circuits become overloaded, or their capacity is maximized, they will trip and cause a power outage to those being served by that circuit.

ECI REC serves over 4,600 member-accounts in its southern service area (the hardest hit). We are only able to utilize 2 of our 11 distribution substations in this area. This is less than 20% of the normal energy supply resources we have available to adequately provide reliable electric service to these member-accounts. Though we can re-route some power to a few of the substations lacking transmission, this is not a reliable solution, but rather a short-term option until our power provider is able to restore the transmission equipment that feeds power to our nine remaining substations.

CIPCO, ECI REC’s power provider, has 16 line personnel in our service area working hard to restore the transmission equipment that feeds our substations. We are working to get some power re-routed to the Crozier, Homer, Big Grove, Lindahl, and Shellsburg substations. Unfortunately, the Watkins and Van Horne substations will not be re-energized until the restoration of the transmission equipment in those areas occurs. This affects approximately 670 member-accounts. As of this post, ECI REC currently has 1,833 member-accounts without power.

UPDATE: 8/11/20 @ 9:00 a.m.

ECI REC’s main hurdle at this point is loss of transmission power to our substations. Nine of our substations remain without power, due to the significant damages the transmission equipment sustained during yesterday’s storm. A recent update from our power provider, CIPCO, stated that their crews are working to assess and repair the transmission equipment. They are working to get the needed crews, contractors, and equipment in the field to get the transmission lines and poles back up.

As of this post, there were 2,594 ECI REC members without power. Regarding the damages sustained by ECI REC’s distribution system, our assessment is showing 300-plus poles down or compromised. Two truckloads of poles arrived first thing this morning. ECI REC line crews, along with one Highline Construction, Inc., crew, have been working since 5:30 this morning to reset poles and lines. Six additional crews from western Iowa (Racoon Valley Electric Cooperative of Glidden and North West REC of Orange City) will be arriving around noon today to assist ECI REC crews with the restoration efforts. Line crews will be working 16-hour days as long as needed.

Again, with the magnitude of damages, it could take a few days to completely restore power to all members. We ask affected members to please prepare and be patient. Your safety, and the safety of our line crews, is of utmost priority. We are still asking those who have power, or who have regained power and live in ECI REC’s southern service area, to limit energy usage to help lighten the demand on the few substations we are relying on to serve our membership in the affected areas. Thank you!

Members can follow the power restoration progress via ECI REC's outage map.

8/11/20 @ 9:00 a.m. (outages and crews)

UPDATE

8/10/20 @ 5:45 p.m.

Following an initial assessment of ECI REC’s southern service area, we’ve identified hundreds of distribution poles flattened or badly damaged, bringing down miles of distribution lines with them. Our southern service area was the hardest hit, particularly Benton and Iowa Counties (primarily Vinton and three counties south).

We are working with the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives to bring in additional line crews from electric cooperatives who have not been affected by today’s storms. ECI REC’s overhead contractor, Highline Construction, Inc., out of Paynesville, MN, has dispatched a crew to assist. ECI REC line crews will continue to work throughout the evening.

With this magnitude of damage, it could take a few days to completely restore power to all members. We ask our affected members to please prepare and be patient. Your safety, and the safety of our line crews, is of utmost priority.

If you are a member who has power, or you have regained power and live in ECI REC’s southern service area, we ask that you limit your energy usage to help lighten the demand on the few substations we are relying on to serve the membership in the affected areas.

8/10/20 @ 5:45 p.m. (ECI REC's southern service area; green highlighted substations have been re-energized)

UPDATE: 8/10/20 @ 2:40 p.m.

All ECI REC crews have been dispatched to assess damages and do what they can to help the restoration process. However, the transmission equipment and lines that feed power to ECI REC’s distribution substations have sustained substantial damages as well, which will limit us in re-energizing nine of our substations in the southern service area (which was the hardest hit). Operations has rerouted some power from the two energized substations. Members can follow the power restoration progress via ECI REC's outage map.

8/10/20 @ 12:55 p.m.

WIDESPREAD OUTAGES: Due to the storms rolling throughout our service area, we are experiencing a number of outages, including outages to our substations. In our southern service area, we have lost transmission power to 9 of our 11 substations. Please rest assured we are doing what we can to switch power over from energized substations to those circuits' power. It may take some time to determine and assess any damages ECI REC's distribution system has sustained. Please take cover and stay clear from down power lines. Be sure to notify us if you are experiencing a power outage. Do not assume we know, as the reason for outages may vary.

8/10/20 @ 2:40 p.m. (outages and crews)