Strong Winds Create Tough Conditions and Continue Today with More Outages Possible
Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) crews worked quickly and safely overnight to restore power to more than 12,700 customers after a Nor’Easter slammed the region. So far, the storm caused more damage than forecasted, with outages reaching into the hundreds of thousands in New York, Massachusetts and Maine. GMP’s field operations team closely monitors multiple forecasts days in advance to respond safely and effectively for customers, and crews were prepared for the forecast. About 9,200 GMP customers were still without power Thursday morning, and more outages are expected as the storm’s strong winds continue today.
“Our team’s top focus is getting the lights back on quickly and safely for customers, and we are pleased we have restored power to 12,700 customers. The Nor’Easter brought dangerous conditions with heavy rain and gusty winds. In some areas, crews have had to pull back from making repairs because trees were toppling around them and it just wasn’t safe to keep working,” said Mike Burke, Chief Field Operations Executive at GMP. “Crews are working in every county we serve to get the lights back on, and they will make progress today, but we do expect more outages and urge customers to also be safe.”
A new wind advisory took effect at 6:00 am and will continue through 8:00 pm for the western side of Vermont and more outages are possible through the day, especially along Lake Champlain. GMP also brought in external crews to help restore power.
GMP customers should be alert to changing conditions, and if there is a line or tree down, don’t touch it and stay at least 30 feet away – call GMP at 888-835-4672. For medical emergencies, always call 911. Customers can also report and track outages online here: https://outages.greenmountainpower.com.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with them to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective and reliable power in Vermont. GMP earned a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World list three years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019). GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. J.D. Power’s 2018 and 2019 rankings put GMP among top utilities for customer satisfaction. In 2019, GMP was named “One of the Best Places To Work in Vermont” by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and was the winner of the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year Award.
Source: COLCHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain Power 10.17.2019