For immediate release

Feb. 2, 2009 — 11 a.m.

Muddy conditions hamper restoration efforts for electric co-ops

View the latest information about Missouri co-op systems affected by winter storms.

Sunshine and temperatures in the upper 50s and lower 60s returned to Missouri’s south-central Ozarks and Bootheel regions over the weekend, melting ice that decimated the rural electric cooperative distribution system last week. While the ice may be gone, the damage it caused still remains across much of the area.

As of this morning, more than 24,000 electric cooperative members are without power at the five affected cooperatives, Howell-Oregon Electric, Ozark Border Electric, Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric, SEMO Electric and White River Valley Electric.

Although this is less than half the total reported at the height of the disaster, restoring power to all those affected is being hampered by conditions on the ground.

“It’s wet and muddy and really slowing down the process,” said Rob Land, director of Risk Management and Training for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. “We’re continuing to get more and more crews into the area.”

Currently, more than 1,000 co-op employees and contractors are working to restore power. Co-ops from regions of Missouri not affected by the storm have rotated crews they’ve sent to assist, and in some cases, they have sent additional crews. Co-op linemen from Mississippi and Iowa also have joined the restoration effort.

Land said material shortages are not an issue at this time. Poles, electrical conductor, transformers and other distribution equipment are flowing into the region supplying the line crews.

Mike Marsch, director of Member Services for the co-op association, said that more and more transmission lines are back on line and feeding power to substations, many more of which should be running again soon.

“Right now, service is coming on 10 to 15 members at a time,” he said, noting that in the area, the co-ops average fewer than seven members per mile of energized line. “It’s going to take some time, but we have all resources in there.”

Outage totals as of Feb. 2 are as follows:

Howell-Oregon, West Plains: 4,500
Ozark Border, Poplar Bluff: 5,000
Pemiscot-Dunklin: 6,500
SEMO, Sikeston: 8,000
White River Valley, Branson: 140

For a look at how your co-op typically goes about the task of restoring electric service, visit http://www.amec.org/poweron.html

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Editor's Note: For media inquiries, contact Jim McCarty at 573-680-2451