For immediate release
Contact: Jim McCarty
(573) 659-3402
(573) 680-2451

Dec. 14, 2007 — 9:50 a.m.

More electric co-ops complete restoration

View the latest information about Missouri co-op systems affected by the ice storm.

Several electric cooperatives completed the task of restoring service Thursday to members affected by the first winter storm of the season. Others expect to complete the process today, the sixth day since heavy ice downed power lines across the state.

In Southwest Missouri, Barton County Electric, Lamar, with 450 outages, and Sac Osage Electric, El Dorado Springs, with 250 out, continue repairs. Both expect to have most members reconnected today. In Central Missouri, Co-Mo Electric, Tipton, has 500 members without service while Callaway Electric,
Fulton, has cut outages to under 1,000.

Northwest Missouri remains the location with the most problems, especially at United Electric Cooperative where the brunt of the storm was felt. There are still 4,000 United members without power, down from 6,000 on Thursday.

As a precaution, United employees cut power to the entire system for a few hours Thursday afternoon when ice began melting. Often melting ice causes as many outages as falling ice because trees shedding ice load can snap into power lines or lines can bounce, touch and burn in two.

Linemen from as far away as Poplar Bluff, Mo., are assisting the United crews. More than 250 additional linemen from systems not affected by the storm are now working the all-out effort.

Other north Missouri systems made progress, with outages at Atchison-Holt Electric, Rockport falling to 500; Grundy Electric to under 500; and Tri-County to 750. North-Central Missouri saw an increase of 30 outages overnight as trees continue to fall in its service area.

Platte-Clay Electric, Kearney, completed restoration efforts late Thursday and released the additional crews helping out.

Latest outage estimates

Atchison-Holt Electric Cooperative, Rockport: 500
Barton Electric Cooperative, Lamar: 450
Boone Electric Cooperative, Columbia: Restoration complete
Callaway Electric Cooperative, Fulton: 900
Consolidated Electric Cooperative, Mexico: Restoration complete
CoMo Electric Cooperative, Tipton: 500
Cuivre River Electric Cooperative, Troy: Restoration complete
Farmers’ Electric Cooperative, Chillicothe: Restoration complete
Grundy Electric Cooperative, Trenton: 450
New Mac Electric Cooperative, Neosho: Restoration complete
North Central Missouri Electric Cooperative, Milan: 890
Ozark Electric Cooperative, Mt. Vernon: Restoration complete
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Kearney: Restoration complete
Sac Osage Electric Cooperative, El Dorado Springs: 250
Southwest Electric Cooperative, Bolivar: Restoration complete
Three Rivers Electric Cooperative, Linn: Restoration complete
Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Lancaster: 750
United Electric Cooperative, Maryville: 4,000

Total: 8,690

(Was 15,600 on Thursday)

For more information, contact Jim McCarty at the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives — (573) 635-6857, ext. 3402, jmccarty@amec.org.

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