High winds, ice storms, earthquakes, and even a rare tornado . . . PenLight members could experience any of these events. With severe weather comes power outages. Restoring power after a major outage is a big job that involves much more than simply throwing a switch or removing a tree from a line. The main goal is to restore power safely to the greatest number of members in the shortest possible time.
Step 1
Transmission towers and lines supply power to one or more transmission substations. These lines seldom fail, but they can be damaged by an earthquake, hurricane or tornado. Tens of thousands of people could be served by 1 high-voltage transmission line, so if there is damage here, it gets attention first.
Step 2
PenLight has several local distribution substations, each serving thousands of consumers. When a major outage occurs, the local distribution substations are checked first. A problem here could be caused by failure in the transmission system supplying the substation. If the problem can be corrected at the substation level, power may be restored to a large number of people.
Step 3
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 a group of consumers, such as a town or housing development. When power is restored at this stage, all consumers served by this supply line could see the lights come on, as long as there is no problem farther down the line.
Step 4
The final supply lines, called tap lines, carry power to the 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 consumers.
Step 5
Sometimes, damage will occur on the service line between your house and the transformer on the nearby pole. This can explain why you have no power when your neighbor does. PenLight needs to know you have an outage here, so a service crew can repair it.
Members (not PenLight) are responsible for damage to the service installation on the home/building. PenLight cannot fix anything beyond the point that the power connects to the building. Call a licensed electrician.
If you have a power outage at your home or business, follow these steps:
Check to see if your circuit panel or fuse box has tripped or blown a fuse. If it has tripped reset the breaker or replace the blown fuse.- Check disconnect on outside just below meter base. (Not all buildings have an outside disconnect – mainly on mobile homes.)
- Check with neighbors to see if they have power.
- Call PenLight at (253) 857-5950. Be sure to follow all directions carefully.
- Turn off all household appliances, computers, televisions, and air conditioning and heating units, etc. When power is restored, turn on items one at a time.