By SooToday.com Staff
SooToday.com
Tuesday, December 08, 2009

NEWS RELEASE

CLOVERLAND ELECTRIC
COOPERATIVE

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Prepare for potential outage

DAFTER, MI (December 9, 2009) - Cloverland Electric Cooperative is closely monitoring the threat for severe weather conditions for tonight and tomorrow.

Heavy snow, high winds and plummeting temperatures are forecast.

The co-op encourages members to be vigilant and prepare for the impact this weather event may have on our rural service area including downed lines, broken power poles and extended outages.

The co-op’s restoration procedure is to make repairs that will restore service to the most people in the least amount of time.

It is important that persons with special needs or their caregivers make arrangements ahead of time to prepare for potential interruptions in service.

“Our line crews and member service teams are closely watching the weather and ready to respond. We ask members to be patient and know that we will be working hard to restore power as soon as possible,” said Operations Manager Phil Schmitigal.

Cloverland reminds members with generators to carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operations.

An improper generator hookup can create serious safety problems.

It is important that your generator has the proper transfer switch.

This switching device separates the generator from the outside utility service.

Without a transfer switch, the generator’s voltage can backfeed onto the power lines and endanger the lives of crews working to restore power.

With safety in mind, stay away from fallen power lines.

Assume that any power line is conducting electricity and report these emergencies immediately.

Cloverland Electric Cooperative members should call 1-800-562-4953 or (906) 635-6800 to report power outages and downed lines.

Established in 1938, Cloverland Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit utility located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula delivering safe, reliable and affordable electricity to approximately 19,500 homes and businesses in Chippewa, Mackinac, Luce, and Schoolcraft counties.

The cooperative is headquartered in Dafter and maintains district offices in DeTour and Newberry.

For more information, visit here.

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