What Does It Take to Get the Lights Back On? A Lineman’s Perspective

At Cullman Electric Cooperative, we get a lot of questions about the process involved for restoring power outages. Recently, an electric co-op in Missouri had one of its linemen write a story for its member newsletter about the process of restoring power from a lineman’s perspective.

“As a lineman, it's always a good feeling to help people get those lights back on,” wrote Brandon Keesee, a journeyman lineman for Southeast Missouri Electric Cooperative. “I can remember times when I’ve been on storm or extended outages re-energizing neighborhoods and heard people in their homes cheering as their lights came on for the first time in days. No matter how tired I am or how long I’ve been working, that feeling will always make it worth it. But what does it take to get those lights back on? Why does it sometimes take so long? Most people don't get to experience or witness the work that goes into ending outages.”

You can read the whole article by clicking on the link here. While every electric cooperative is unique, Keesee does a great job of explaining some of the complexities of an electrical distribution system that are similar for linemen anywhere in the United States. He shares a scenario that could very likely happen here at Cullman Electric Cooperative and gives a detailed timeline of the steps involved, detailing why it might take several hours to make repairs for a small outage.

And his conclusion highlights what we believe is one of the key values of “The Cooperative Difference.

“Your cooperative and its employees are members of your community,” writes Keesee. “We live in the same neighborhoods. We shop at the same stores. Our kids go to the same schools. If your lights are off, there is a good chance ours are off too. We will always be committed to serving our members and communities by providing you with safe and reliable electricity—24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”