Ready to Ready to Ready to Ready to any storm any storm any storm weather

Behind-the-scenes look at Pioneer Electric’s response plan

As we venture into summer, Pioneer Electric is preparing for whatever the season brings.

In the South, that can mean torrential downpours, tornadoes or hurricanes — weather events capable of causing significant damage to the electrical grid and disruptions to its power supply. But rest assured, Pioneer Electric doesn’t just react to these events when they happen. There’s a lot of preparation and planning taking place behind the scenes so that when a storm strikes, crews can restore power to members as expeditiously and safely as possible.

“Our storm preparation doesn’t just start right before severe weather hits,” says Phillip Baker, Pioneer Electric’s vice president of engineering and operations. “It’s really a year-round process of planning, preparing and continuous training. And that doesn’t just go for our lineworkers, but also our engineers and dispatchers who are a major part of how we get things done around here.”

This year-round commitment to storm readiness allows Pioneer Electric to act promptly and efficiently when severe weather hits. With well-trained lineworkers, engineers and dispatchers, your electric co-op is better equipped to assess damage, prioritize restoration efforts and mobilize resources effectively.

To provide some insight into the co-op’s storm prepa ration and response efforts, Pio neer Electric shares some of the less visible aspects of its hurricane response plan:

Latest technologies

We’re committed to implementing the latest technologies, like smart meters, to enhance outage response and restoration efforts. This allows us to better detect outages and prioritize our res ources for a more efficient and thorough recovery process.

Monitoring

Dedicated personnel keep a close eye on severe weather that may be headed this way. If a severe weather event like a hurricane or tropical storm is in the forecast, Pioneer Electric will monitor the storm’s progress with any changes or updates. We know hurricane forecasts can change at the last minute, so the storm team stays vigilant and prepared.

Contractors and mutual aid crews

As soon as a hurricane is forecast, we start coordinating with contractors and mutual aid crews from other areas. These skilled professionals join forces with us to restore power after the storm.

Hotel rooms and caterers

To keep our hardworking crews well rested and fed, we secure hotel rooms and collaborate with local caterers to provide meals throughout the restoration process.

Equipment

We double check that all our tools and trucks are fueled up and ready to go. We also preload some poles on our pole trailers so we can hit the ground running as soon as the storm passes.

Backup generators

We ensure our backup generators have fuel and are ready to roll. We also stay in touch with local emergency management agencies to collaborate on tasks if needed.

Stocking up

We maintain a storm stock on hand to quickly access any essential items. Our vendors often reach out to confirm that we have everything we need.

Dispatch

Our dispatchers play a crucial role in the restoration process, figuring out where to send crews to maximize efficiency as they prioritize more widespread outages before working their way down to smaller outages. They maintain constant communication with our boots on the ground.

Restoring power

We don’t send crews out in dangerous weather conditions. Once the storm has passed, our top priority is restoring power as safely as possible. We send out crews to assess damage before working on power lines to get as many people back online as quickly as possible.

“A lot of times we prepare and nothing happens, but you’ve got to stay prepared,” Baker says. “It’s never wasted energy. When nothing happens to us, our guys will be loading up to go help our neighbors in their restoration efforts.”

In addition to personnel, Pioneer Electric also invests in maintaining up-to- date equipment and infrastructure to minimize the impact of severe weather on the electrical grid. From trimming tree branches near power lines to performing routine inspections of poles and transformers, the goal is to proactively address potential issues before they become major problems.

Members are also an important part of Pioneer Electric’s storm restoration efforts. To help protect lineworkers during these times, members should remain sheltered.

“We have a lot of situations where people try to go out in storms,” Baker says. “It would help us if people stayed indoors during these times to prevent accidents. If a power pole falls on someone’s car because they’ve run off the road, for example, our guys have to go out and risk their safety to assess the situation with first responders.”

As members venture into summer, they can have peace of mind knowing that Pioneer Electric’s commitment to preparedness, safety and service will see us through whatever weather challenges Mother Nature throws our way. n