Info

Linn County REC strives to provide reliable service through extensive maintenance programs, tree trimming and pole inspections. However, there are things beyond our control that can cause outages. These outages include the following: Dig Ins - These outages occur when a contractor digs into an underground line or tears down an overhead line. If you experience an outage and notice a contractor working nearby, please call our office. Most of our dig in outages are reported directly from our members. You can be our best means of knowing where the source of the outage is. Storms - When a storm or extensive outage occurs, it is Linn County REC's first priority to restore power to the substation first. Downed power lines and trees in the lines are very time consuming to repair. Should there be a storm with widespread damage to our distribution system, we have resources available to help with the rebuilding and restoration of electric service. Animals - Squirrels, raccoons or birds can all cause outages. If an animal comes in contact with energized wires on a pole or in the substation, this will either cause the power to go out or cause blinking lights. The animal will clear itself when it makes contact or will be removed by a lineman from the pole or substation. Blinking Lights - Blinking lights can be caused by several different things. Some common reasons your lights may blink are: lighting storms, ice storms, trees or limbs touching the power lines. Occasionally the cause of blinking lights is due to a mechanical problem on the distribution system. Linn County REC has an extensive maintenance program in place to visually inspect the overhead lines, trim/cut trees where and when necessary and perform routine substation maintenance. All of these maintenance programs help prevent outages and blinking lights. If you experience blinking lights (other than during a storm) please call our office. Power Supplier - These outages occur when the transmission lines that feed our substations have a problem and are out of power. We work closely with our power supplier to help restore power to these areas as quickly as possible. If we foresee an extended outage, we can usually "switch" or feed the affected substation with another substation. Occasionally due to construction or extensive damage, we are unable to feed around an affected substation outage. Planned Outage - At times it is necessary for Linn County REC to have the power to your area off for maintenance or repairs. When this occurs, we attempt to contact you by mail or phone to notify you of the planned outage, date, time and work to be done. For more information on outages visit the link below: