Why Are There So Many Power Outages in Our City?
When the electricity goes out in our homes, it disrupts everything. Power outages occur everywhere, and certainly Peachtree Corners has experienced quite a few outages of late. While the City does not control how Georgia Power manages power outages, there are several things that each of us as property owners can do to avoid losing electricity as often as we have in the past.
What are some of the main reasons our power goes out?
• Trees are the most common cause of outages. Anything from a broken limb to a branch
simply touching the line can cause a service interruption. During high winds, trees or debris often falls onto power lines and can cause significant interruptions.
• Animals, particularly squirrels, can affect your power supply.
• Snow and ice can cause outages as trees and power lines are weighed down by accumulations.
• Lightning strikes frequently cause trees to fall onto power lines, and those strikes directly onto towers, poles, distribution lines or transformers can cause lengthy outages.
Why does it take so long to fix a power outage?
When responding to a major outage, Georgia Power’s crews first address problems along distribution lines that serve critical facilities such as hospitals, water filtration plants, and fire and police stations. Therefore, the time it takes to restore power can vary depending on prioritized locations related to public safety and health care needs. The volume of debris down in a storm can also adversely affect the time required for power restoration. Separate crews are needed to remove the cause of an outage, clear paths for other crews to access the locations and remove the debris so that new lines or equipment can be installed.
Why does my neighbor have power and I do not?
There are a couple of possible reasons. One, you may be on a separate feeder system or transformer from your neighbor. Another reason might be the service line to your home may have been damaged and in need of repair before your home can be reconnected.
Does Georgia Power have any plans to clear trees that could cause power outages?
Georgia Power representatives are planning on conducting extensive tree trimming in the city’s rights of way this year and in the years to come as part of their Grid Improvement Program. They hope to be more aggressive with clearing vegetation that is directly adjacent to their electrical distribution system.
I have beautiful trees that grow near the right of way. How much will they be cut back?
Georgia Power representatives say they do their best to avoid trimming to the point of
jeopardizing the health of trees, however, keep in mind the ultimate purpose for cutting and
trimming trees that are close to power lines is to minimize power outages.
How often does Georgia Power plan on coming through our city to cut and trim trees that are
adjacent to the city’s rights of way?
Georgia Power plans on a 36-month cycle of thorough tree pruning, but they will also do an
annual field inspection of their facilities and infrastructure to identify spot locations that need
additional effort.
What about tall, dead, or diseased trees that are on private property but do not hang over the city’s right of way? Can they be trimmed or cut down by Georgia Power with the property owner’s permission?
Georgia Power has tree arborists on staff who can come out at a property owner’s request and
assess whether a tree is in danger of falling onto power lines. They can consider making
arrangements to have trees removed or pruned in coordination with a property owner’s input.
What can we, as homeowners, do to ensure fewer power outages?
Keep trees or bushes on your property pruned back as far away as possible from your service
line and the lines along the road frontage.
Stay Safe
Mike Mason, Mayor
Source: City of Peachtree Corners Press Release
