Piedmont Electric Sends Crews to Kentucky
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., February 5, 2009—A convoy of bucket trucks, line trucks and a service truck is on its way to Mayfield, Kentucky, taking crews from Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation to help a sister cooperative restore power following the recent crippling ice storms.
The 10 Cooperative employees are expected to make the 650-mile trip by early afternoon on Thursday, February 5, and begin working immediately with the Kentucky cooperative to restore power to its member-consumers.
Linemen from Piedmont Electric making the trek to Kentucky are: Donald Neems, Brian Rhew, Jeff Bolick, Chris Graves, Andy Dawson, Johnny Barefoot, Brent Talley, Dale Tuck, Kevin Snead and Ricky Crabtree.
According to the CEO at West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative, more than 23,000 consumers are still without power after two weeks of below freezing weather.
Ice brought down 651 three- phase poles and approximately 2,000 single-phase poles, as well as power lines. Officials do not expect to have all power restored until early March.
Last week Piedmont Electric released two of its Pike contract crews to help with the restoration efforts in Indiana. These crews have since been moved to Missouri.
Cooperatives routinely go to disaster areas to help sister cooperatives during extreme power outages. Piedmont Electric has been on the receiving end of this help during widespread outages in the past.
Piedmont Electric, which is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative based in Hillsborough, is a nonprofit electric utility serving 31,000 consumers in parts of Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties.
CUTLINE:
Ten linemen from Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation are in Mayfield, Kentucky, working with West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative to restore electric service to its consumers following a major ice storm. The linemen are: (L-R, front) Donald Neems and Brian Rhew, and (back row) Jeff Bolick, Kevin Sneed, Johnny Barefoot, Andy Dawson, Chris Graves and Brent Talley. Dale Tuck is on the line truck. Not pictured is Ricky Crabtree.
Contact:
Susan J. Cashion
Manager - Key Accounts and Public Relations
Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation
P.O. Drawer 1179, 2500 NC86S
Hillsborough, NC 27278
919.241.1176 (Office)
919.210.4961 (Cell) |
