Oneonta and Mechanicville: NYSEG Continues Restoration Effort - 6:30 p.m.

Company continues to expand field resources to address remaining incidents

BINGHAMTON, New York — December 25, 2020, 6:30 p.m. — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) crews are continuing to make progress as they work to restore customers that were impacted by this morning’s strong winds and rain. Currently of the 7,055 customers that were impacted in the company’s Oneonta and Mechanicville divisions, approximately 1,855 customers remain without power. The Oneonta and Mechanicville divisions include Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Washington, Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Greene, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Otsego, Schoharie and Ulster counties. The company is on track to complete full restoration work tonight and tomorrow. Personnel will continue to update estimated restoration times (ETRs) for customers as the company works to restore the remaining customers prior to the company’s global ETR of 11 p.m. Saturday, December 26.

Crews that were onsite and pre-staged continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to customers who remain impacted by today’s storm. The company has also added company resources from the western portion of our service area, along with mutual assistance from local municipal electric companies and mutual assistance utility resources. Throughout the day, crews focused on restoration efforts, completing a thorough damage assessment, clearing downed wires and trees and making safe work sites. The company also continues to coordinate its response effort with state and local emergency management officials to clear roads of fallen trees and hazards and restore power service to critical facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes. The remaining outages represent the most challenging areas for the field crews to access and repair.

The company understands the inconvenience and challenges that any disruption in service may cause, especially during the holidays. The company assures customers that crews continue to work around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible. Customers may experience additional power outages as crews may need to cut power to certain areas to safely make repairs on the system to restore the remaining areas. Crews will continue to work until the job is done and every customer is restored.

Outage Information

  • 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 .
  • You can 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”. The application is free to download.

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 1.800.572.1131 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 1.800.572.1131.
  • 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 1.800.572.1131 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 and the company’s social media pages:

  • Facebook: @NYSEandG
  • Twitter: @NYSEandG
 

 

Media Contacts:

  • Sarah Warren
    sarah.warren@avangrid.com
    585.794.9253
Node: liferay-2:8080