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Council hears explanation for rolling blackouts; considers generator for Community Center
Summary
After an automated transition to self-generated power led to rolling blackouts, Grundy Center Municipal Utilities said specialists will simulate a full-load "cutover" to diagnose failures. Council members urged stronger outage notification and discussed installing a generator at the Community Center as a storm shelter.
Grundy Center officials and utility staff described the cause of recent rolling blackouts and discussed contingency plans at the May 4 City Council meeting.
Mayor Dr. Paul Eberline and Jeff Carson, Grundy Center Municipal Utilities (GCMU) manager, told the council that to accommodate upgrades to a Cornbelt feeder line the utility transitioned the city to self-generated power. During that transition, Carson said, unexpected automation failures in the generation system led GCMU to implement rolling blackouts because dozens of contracted linemen were already on-site and delaying work would incur "thousands of dollars of additional labor costs." Carson said specialists will be brought in to diagnose load-balancing failures and that the utility will simulate a full-load "cutover" using specialized equipment to troubleshoot without risking a live outage.
Eberline said communication and notification policies should follow a "worst-case scenario" approach so residents are fully prepared for outages. Carson said future updates will be distributed via the GCMU website, Facebook and the new Grundy Center Connect app. Carson also said the final phase of feeder-line work on A Avenue will require an estimated one hour of overnight downtime; no official date was set.
At the public forum, Ryan Bingman, speaking on behalf of Grundy County Memorial Hospital, described recent generator usage during outages and asked that the city provide prior notification when outages are planned. Resident Frank Lamp asked about transmission/delivery fees and city costs for a new electrical utility line project.
Council Member Kuester recommended installing a generator at the Community Center because the building is designated as a storm shelter and residents who rely on oxygen or refrigeration could use it during outages. No formal action was taken at the meeting; city staff said further testing and vendor troubleshooting will precede any scheduled downtime or facility upgrades.
