With snow, sleet, and ice possible for our area, Laurens Electric Cooperative is urging its members to make preparations now in case of widespread and prolonged power outages.
Before a storm ever hits, Laurens Electric Cooperative has plans in place to prevent and correct any resulting outages.
However, ice on trees and power lines can equal a worst-case scenario, and depending upon the severity of the storm, members should be prepared for the possibility of power outages.
The co-op has planned for the possibility of worsening weather conditions with extra supplies and crews on stand-by and has emergency call-center capabilities. In case of widespread outages, Laurens Electric can call on other co-ops to send emergency crews to help in restoration.
Staff and line crews will be on-hand/on-call 24 hours a day, working to restore any outages.
To report a power outage or damaged equipment, members should call 1-866-9RESTORE.
Laurens Electric would like to remind the public in the event of downed power lines to stay away and call emergency officials as well as the cooperative at 1-800-942-3141.
Members should prepare now
Before the storm, members should ensure their phone numbers are updated, since this is how our automated reporting system recognizes their location during an outage. Call 1-800-942-3141 or visit laurenselectric.com/update to update an account.
If a member requires life supporting medical equipment, have a backup source of power ready if the primary source of power does go out. Members who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power should contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter.
Keep backup generators 20 feet away from homes. If power goes out, disconnect appliances and turn off lights. When power is restored, multiple appliances coming on at once could cause a power surge that could damage equipment.
It’s always best to be prepared for extended power outages and keep the following supplies on hand:
• Water and non-perishable food
• Flashlights, wireless phone charges and batteries
• Manual can opener
• Moist towelettes
• Extra pet food
• First aid kit/prescription medicine
Visit our outage center at laurenselectric.com/outage to report an outage or sign up for text alerts.
Find us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for updates.
Laurens Electric Cooperative serves 64,000 member-owners in Laurens, Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Newberry, Union, and Abbeville counties. Since 1939, the co-op has been dedicated to being the provider of choice for energy and related services in the Upstate.
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How we restore service after major outages
The main goal is to safely restore power to the greatest number of customers in the shortest time possible.
On-going and dangerous weather conditions, uneven or difficult terrain, the need for various repair supplies, and a number of other factors make it difficult to predict power restoration times.
Keep in mind that if there is damage to power plants, switchyards or transmission lines, those facilities must be repaired by our power supplier before we can restore your service. Transmission lines seldom fail, but they can be damaged by ice storms. Tens of thousands of people could be served by a single high-voltage transmission line.
When those facilities are working, any problems in the co-op’s electric distribution system can be corrected. Three primary areas of our system must be addressed.
1 -- Substations are repaired first. Distribution substations each serve thousands of members. When a major outage occurs, the local distribution substations are checked first. If the problem can be corrected at the substation level, power may be restored to a large number of people.
2 -- Distribution lines are repaired. Main distribution supply lines are checked next if the problem cannot be isolated at the substation. These supply lines carry electricity away from the substation to communities and neighborhoods. When power is restored at this stage, all members served by this supply line could see the lights come on, if there is no problem farther down the line.
3 -- Individual services are restored. The final supply lines, called service lines, carry power from the transformer on utility poles or underground transformers outside houses or other buildings. Line crews fix the remaining outages based on restoring service to the greatest number of members.
Sometimes, damage will occur on the service line between a house and the transformer on the nearby pole. This may explain why one member does not have power when their neighbor does. The co-op needs to know about this outage so a service crew can repair it.
If there is damage to the equipment where the service drop enters a home, members may need to get an electrician to repair it before the co-op can safely restore service. The weatherhead, where service lines enter the conduit leading to a home’s electric meter, is the responsibility of the homeowner. So are the conduit and the meter base. The co-op can replace or repair damaged meters or service lines, but if there is damage to a home’s weatherhead, conduit, or meter base, contact an electrician immediately to get repairs started.
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