August 13, 2007

OUTAGE REPORT: 53 Minutes in Marathon

An FKEC contract crew working to upgrade power poles in Marathon caused a 53-minute outage today in the Sombrero area. The crew was replacing a pole when a fault on one of the energized lines locked out the circuit at 10:42 a.m. The local distribution load was then re-routed to another circuit and power restored to affected customers at 11:35 a.m. The fault caused minor damage to an in-line switch which will be replaced before the circuit is returned to normal operation. No injuries were reported.

As part of FKEC's ongoing Storm Hardening Program, the contract crew from Glades Utility Service is working on a multi-phase project to replace aging wooden poles and their related pole top equipment throughout the Upper and Middle Keys.

"Hardening" the power infrastructure means building a system that is more storm resistant in every way. This ongoing process encompasses a variety of programs, including the following: routine pole inspections and replacements, adoption of the NISC Extreme Wind Standard, aggressive vegetation management, promotion of underground power, and comprehensive system maintenance and upgrades.