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The Fight Against Outages Never Ends

Monday | January 9, 2023
All News

Gary%20Raybon_2015%20-%20Web.jpgA MESSAGE FROM YOUR GENERAL MANAGER/CEO

GARY RAYBON

 

 

 

The Fight Against Outages Never Ends

No matter how hard Wharton County Electric Cooperative employees work to keep the power flowing and your lights on, some outages are simply unavoidable. Lightning and ice storms that break poles and snap wires are familiar culprits, but animals and car wrecks and even aircraft can knock out the power when the sun is shining.

But your co-op takes many measures to minimize outages. Let me share with you a few of the ways we continually work to keep your lights on.

There are a staggering number of poles on our system. If you look closely at any of the poles, you’ll notice small dated aluminum tags. These tags are installed when a section of line is professionally inspected. Often, two or three tags can be seen on the same pole, one for each inspection. The inspectors are trained experts who use visual, ultrasound and boring tools to find issues that can be fixed before they turn into problems.

Monthly substation inspections are another measure we take to ensure normal operations. Along with visual inspections, readings are recorded to identify abnormalities such as oil leaks, discoloration and even bird nests. Workers check batteries and change filters, and oil samples are taken and analyzed annually in an effort to stay ahead of issues.

Infrared technology is relatively new to the utility industry, but it has become an important tool. Infrared camera detect elevated temperatures and can be used to conduct surveys of substations and regulator banks. This enables us to find hot spots and fix or clean them with minimal cost before they can cause an outage.

Right-of-way management is an ongoing battle. Tree branches that have grown—or blown—into a line can cause your lights to dim or blink, so tree trimming is a critical part of our right-of-way management efforts, with most of the work done in the fall and winter.

Our crews patrol the lines daily, whether on an outage call or on the way to build new lines. If we can find an issue and fix it before it causes an outage, that’s a good day.

All these efforts and more are part of our everyday commitment to provide electricity that you can rely on to keep the lights on.

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  • My Account
    • Manage My Account
      • Start, Stop or Transfer Service
      • Pay Online (SmartHub Login)
      • Payment Options
      • Auto Pay
      • SmartHub
      • Update Account Information
      • Variable Billing
    • Account Information
      • Understanding My Bill
      • Payment Assistance
      • New Service Construction
      • Metering
      • Critical Account Membership
      • Texas Ag Sales & Use Tax Exemption
  • My Membership
    • Member Benefits
      • Co-op Connections Savings Program
      • Patronage Refunds
      • Washington D.C. Youth Tour Trip
      • Outdoor/Security Lighting
      • Products For Your Home
      • Texas Co-op Power Magazine
    • Member Information
      • Annual Meeting of Members
      • Member Resources & Forms
      • Member Communication
      • Notification of Property Hazard/Repair Needed
  • Our Cooperative
    • WCEC
      • WCEC History
      • WCEC Today
      • Board of Directors
      • Power Supply and Distribution
      • Shirly Stubbs Feinstein Endowment
      • Staff & Careers
      • Contact Us
    • Community Involvement
      • Operation Round Up
      • Employee Volunteers
      • CoBank Sharing Success Grant
      • Christmas Lighting Contest
      • Community Presentations
    • The Cooperative Way
      • What is a Cooperative?
      • America's Electric Cooperatives
      • Texas Electric Cooperatives
      • Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
  • Safety & Savings
    • Safety
      • Outage Central
      • Electricity 101
      • Electrical Safety
      • Kids Corner
      • Cybersecurity
      • Scam Protection
      • Call Before You Dig
    • Savings
      • Use Less; Save More - Energy Savings
      • Residential Energy Audits
      • Load Management Program
      • Beat the Peak
  • Internet Services
    • Manage My Internet
      • Pay Online (SmartHub Login)
      • Contact Internet Support
      • Wirehand Wireless FAQs
      • Wirehand Wireless Compatible Equipment List
    • WCEC Internet Options
      • Wirehand Wireless
      • Exede Satellite
  • Outage Central
    • Outage Central
      • Report An Outage
      • Outage Map
    • Outage Information
      • Outage Prep & Safety Tips
      • Outage Prevention
      • Power Restoration