10 Indiana electric cooperatives, including South Central Indiana REMC, send crews to storm-damaged areas.
SCI REMC was one of 10 Indiana electric cooperatives to send crews and equipment to assist with the power restoration effort in Virginia after winter storms moved through the state. The area’s electric distribution system sustained significant damage.
Thirty Indiana electric cooperative lineworkers left Monday for Rappahannock Electric Cooperative* in Culpeper, Virginia, to assist in the power recovery effort after more than 85,000 of the electric distribution cooperative’s consumers were left without electricity. In addition to SCI REMC, crews from nine additional Indiana electric cooperatives responded: Henry County REMC (New Castle), Heartland REMC (Wabash), Jasper County REMC (Rensselaer), Northeastern REMC (Columbia City), RushShelby Energy (Manilla), Southern Indiana Power (Tell City), Tipmont REMC (Linden), Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC (Bloomfield), and Whitewater Valley REMC (Liberty).
In the Indiana electric cooperative family, every cooperative is an integral part of a state and national network of hundreds of fellow cooperatives. It is incumbent upon us to work together and help one another in times of disaster, to make sure our power delivery systems are repaired as quickly, safely, and cost-effectively as possible.
At SCI REMC, we take care of emergency needs at home first, but our crews are eager to help those in need. They take a tremendous amount of pride in representing their home cooperative and the state of Indiana. They represent us well with how hard, professionally, and safely they work.
Regardless of the circumstance, it is important to remember safety around downed power lines. Always assume a downed power line is still energized. If you see a downed line, stay away and contact your electric utility. Additionally, please stay away from limbs or trees in contact with downed lines because they can be conductors of electricity.
The Indiana electric cooperative mutual aid program provides cooperative assistance in service restoration from storms or other events that result in significant power outages.
*Rappahannock Electric Cooperative provides electric service to nearly 170,000 connections in portions of 22 Virginia counties.