Elmira: NYSEG Releases Daily Restoration Plan to Restore Customers - 7 a.m.

Expects to restore 95% of customers by 8 p.m. tonight

BINGHAMTON, NY — March 27, 2021, 7 a.m. — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) released its daily restoration plan for work that will be completed today. Notably, the company expects to complete any remaining damage assessment and make-safe activities, focusing resources on restoration work. Currently, approximately 2,200 customers are without power in the company’s Elmira pision, which includes Steuben and Schuyler counties. NYSEG also announced that it expects to restore 95% of customers in the pision by 8 p.m. tonight. The company expressed appreciation and empathy for customers that went without power overnight.
 


Details of Saturday’s Work Plan Include:

Crew Information: As restorations in other areas have been completed, the company has continued to shift resources into areas with a high number of outage incidents and customers without power. To supplement the more than 1,500 field resources currently engaged in restoration activities, the company has continued to onboard additional resources as they become available.

 
Restoration Work: Softened soil conditions, as a result of thawing ground conditions and melting snow, coupled with severe winds, caused a significant amount of fallen trees and limbs, resulting in broken poles, downed wires and damage to other electrical equipment. As such, the crews will place particular emphasis on replacing broken poles, stringing new wire and replacing other damaged equipment, such as transformers. 


COVID-19 Vaccination Sites: Consistent with the initial response strategy, the company will continue to closely monitor the reliability of service at major COVID-19 vaccination sites. Throughout the storm, repairs to impacted sites were prioritized to ensure a continuity in operations. 

 

Safety and Restoration Information

NYSEG and RG&E will continue to provide updates throughout the event to the general public on the companies’ websites and social media channels (Facebook and Twitter). The companies also offer customers the following reminders to stay safe.

 

Outage Information

  • Use our new mobile app to report and check the status of outages. To download the application, customers should search “AVANGRID” in the Apple or Android app stores and select “NYSEG” or “RG&E”. The application is free to download.
  • Sign up for Outage Alerts to receive updates automatically by phone, text, or email as the company updates the status of the restoration process in their area. Customers can sign up for outage alerts by visiting here for NYSEG and here for RG&E.

 

Stay Away From Downed Wires

  • Stay at least 30 feet from a downed power line.
  • If a downed wire comes in contact with your vehicle, stay inside and wait for help. If you must get out because of fire or other danger, jump clear of the vehicle to avoid any contact with the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together and hop with feet together or shuffle away; don’t run or stride.
  • NYSEG customers should call 800.572.1131 and RG&E customers should call 800.743.1701 to report downed power lines or other hazardous situations.

 

During a Power Interruption

  • Contact neighbors to see if their power is off. A loss of power may be the result of a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
  • To report a power interruption, contact NYSEG at 800.572.1131 or RG&E at 800.743.1701.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Most food will last 24 hours if you minimize the opening of refrigerator and freezer doors.

 

Power Restoration Priorities

The companies’ first priorities are to respond to reports of downed power lines to keep the public safe. NYSEG customers are asked to call 800.572.1131 and RG&E customers are asked to call at 800.743.1701 to report downed wires. Once this vital public safety work is complete, the company will:

  • Assess the damage to the electricity delivery system.
  • Develop a detailed restoration plan.
  • Make repairs as quickly as possible.

 

For additional information, including storm preparation tips, storm safety information, generator safety information, restoration priorities and emergency resources, visit Outage Central at NYSEG.com or RGE.com and on the company’s social media pages:

  • Facebook: @NYSEandG
  • Twitter: @NYSEandG
  • Facebook: @RochGandE
  • Twitter: @RGandE

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About NYSEG: New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. Established in 1852, NYSEG operates approximately 35,000 miles of electric distribution lines and 4,500 miles of electric transmission lines across more than 40% of upstate New York. It also operates more than 8,150 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and 20 miles of gas transmission pipelines. It serves approximately 894,000 electricity customers and 266,000 natural gas customers. For more information, visit nyseg.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $36 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,600 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2019 and 2020 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit avangrid.com.

Learn about the Iberdrola Group’s global pandemic response at its COVID-19 Hub.

 
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