Power Restoration Process
Hurricanes, tornados and other severe weather can cause power outages. Restoring power after a major outage is a big job that involves much more than simply flipping a switch or removing a tree from a power line. The priority is to restore power safely to customers in the shortest time possible. As your utility is community-owned, crews focus on restoring the local service area. With severe or widespread damage to the system, crews from other public power utilities come out to help.
OUTAGE RECOVERY PLANNING
Getting the power back on safely takes planning. From day one, Riviera Utilities creates detailed plans for how to safely restore power in a variety of events. We plan how crews will be deployed, how information will be shared with customers and when to call for additional help.
STEP
1
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
& DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
During and after a storm, utility crews de-energize
downed lines and safely assess other damaged parts
of the system to reduce potential dangers.
STEP
2
TRANSMISSION LINES
High-voltage transmission towers and lines seldom
fail, but can be damaged by severe wind or flooding.
One line can serve tens of thousands of people.
If one of these lines is damaged, utility crews would
focus on restoring it first.
STEP
3
SUBSTATIONS
Utility crews check distribution substations, which
can serve several thousand homes and businesses,
to see if a major outage is occurring because of a
problem at the substation or with the transmission
line coming into the substation.
STEP
4
MAIN DISTRIBUTION LINES
Main distribution lines carry power from substations
to a central point in a neighborhood. When
power is restored on these lines, whole neighborhoods
and business districts may see the lights
come back on as long as there are no problems
further down the line.
STEP
5
LOCAL
DISTRIBUTION LINES
Local distribution lines carry electricity to utility poles
or underground transformers serving one to several
homes or businesses. Utility crews work on these
lines after repairs to the main distribution lines and
prioritize locations to get the largest number of
customers back in service.
STEP
6
SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
Once power is restored, utilities assess if the
recovery plan should be updated, and identify parts
of the system that may benefit from upgrades or
enhancements to reduce the likelihood of damage
in the future.
Learn more about Power Restoration Priorities and Information