Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utility official: lightning strike cut power to about 2,800 customers; HUV fiber rollout will fund smart-grid upgrades
Summary
A HUV utility official told the Herriman council that lightning-damaged TVA equipment caused a Blair Substation outage that left roughly 2,800 customers without service for about nine hours. The utility said HUV Fiber subscriber revenue will be reinvested in smart-grid equipment and that AMI and outage-management tools improve restoration accuracy.
Herriman, Tenn. — A HUV utility official told the Herriman City Council on July 7 that lightning striking TVA transmission equipment caused a complex outage at the Blair Substation that left roughly 2,800 customers without power for about nine hours.
"We had 2,800 people out of service for about, 9 hours just because of that particular issue," the utility official said, describing difficult access and safety challenges crews faced while repairing the transmission line.
The official described several measures the utility uses to restore service and communicate with customers: an outage-management map on the utility website, AMI meter scans that re-check the system after crews clear outages, and coordination with TVA, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the EPA for water-safety information after nearby emergencies. The official said AMI and the utility's communications network will help identify outages faster and reduce the number of affected customers as smart-grid devices and automations are deployed.
The official also said the HUV Fiber program met a June 30 goal of 700 subscribers and that a portion of fiber revenue will be reinvested in electric-system improvements. On water and sewer work, the official said most ARPA- and ARC-funded projects are nearing completion, with remaining construction on Ridgewood Road and in Oakvale, and that the utility plans a 20-year capital plan for water and sewer assets.
Council members asked how the public can learn lessons from the outage and the official pointed to the utility's outage-management map and public board meetings (last Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m.) as venues for transparency and questions.
What happens next: the utility official encouraged residents to use the utility's outage map and to call the listed hub number to report individual outages so the utility can verify customer status during an outage.
