Winter Storm Fern: Unified Effort to Restore Power Continues
More than 65,000 mutual assistance workers from at least 44 states and Canada are operating around the clock and have already made significant progress in restoring service in the states impacted by Winter Storm Fern, with more than 370,000 customers restored.
"It's really a unified effort," EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney told CNBC yesterday when discussing the industry's mutual assistance response. "I think it's really important for everyone to understand the coordination with federal, state, and local officials...to get power up as quickly as possible during this historic ice storm."
As restoration progress continues, mutual assistance crews will be continuously reallocated to the most impacted communities until every customer who can receive power is safely restored.
The CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council convened again last night to ensure unity of effort at the highest levels of government and across all segments of the industry, including investor-owned electric companies, electric cooperatives, and public power utilities.
Safety Is the Industry's Top Priority
Assessing damage and restoring power will take time in the areas with the most fallen trees and ice accumulation. The energy grid is highly interconnected, and even if customers do not see crews in their neighborhoods or on their streets yet, essential repairs are underway.
Some customers may not be able to receive power to their homes because of damage. If fallen trees or heavy ice damaged the point where wires connect to a customer's home or business, inspections by a licensed electrician may be required before power can be restored.
For more information, visit EEI's Storm Center, a resource for real-time information and updates on storm restoration progress and essential safety tips that customers should follow. You can also follow EEI on X, Facebook, and Instagram for the latest updates.
You can also check out these links:
- Restoring Power After a Storm: A Step-by-Step Process
- Mutual Assistance: 5 Things to Know
- Winter Storm Safety Tips