February 3 , 2010 • 2:09 p.m.

Northfork Electric Cooperative Reports Nearly 600 Outages

Like many Oklahomans across the state, members of Northfork Electric are experiencing outages related to the devastating ice storm. Heaviest outages are in the Elk City, Canute, Carter, Willow and Retrop areas, with many smaller outages widely scattered over the rest of the service territory. The cooperative is currently estimating nearly 600 outages on their service lines with the likelihood of additional scattered outages as the ice begins to thaw over the next few days.
During the initial impact of the winter storm last Thursday, Northfork had previously lost 20 structures primarily in the southeast area of their service territory. NFEC crews quickly repaired the damaged lines and successfully restored power by late Saturday night.
Due to the recent freezing mist and fog, ice accumulation on the power lines continued to increase from Saturday night through Monday morning resulting in the damage of 20 to 25 more structures. Northfork Electric has requested assistance from the Lake Region Cooperative out of Hulbert, Okla., to aid in the restoration of their transmission lines. NFEC members in the most heavily damaged areas can expect to be without power for possibly two to three more days.
In addition, consumers served by the Elk City substation are experiencing outages related to extensive transmission line damage from the southwest and southern part of Oklahoma. Western Farmers Electric Cooperative, Northfork’s wholesale power supplier, still has 38 substations without power and has lost over 122 transmission structures. Members should expect short, intermittent outages as Western Farmers and other transmission companies work to restore service in their territories and energize additional sections of line as they are repaired.
General Manager, Scott Copeland, wants cooperative members to be assured that NFEC is doing everything they can to quickly restore power. “We are working with diligence to promptly restore service to all of our members and appreciate the patience and understanding displayed by our members at this time. We are thankful that our system was not even more severely damaged, and would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to those communities to our south and east who were so greatly devastated by the recent winter storm,” Copeland said.
If you are not in the areas previously stated and would like to report an outage, please call Northfork Electric Cooperative at 580-928-3366.