CVPS: Power nearly restored
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By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff - Published: December 19, 2008
On Thursday afternoon, Central Vermont Public Service expected the last of its customers who lost power during the Dec. 12 ice storm to have power restored by the end of the night or early this morning.
Christine Rivers, a spokeswoman Central Vermont Public Service, said around 9 p.m. Thursday that about two customers were still without power.
About 35,000 customers lost electricity after the ice storm Dec. 12, but most were restored by the end of the weekend. The worst damage was in Windsor and Windham counties and on Thursday, only Windham County customers were yet to be restored.
According to Central Vermont Public Service, more than 500 people, including more than 75 contract line crews, 40 CVPS crews, 50 tree crews and support staff, were working to finish the job.
"We made good progress Wednesday, and with the light so visible at the end of the tunnel, we're giving it all we've got yet again today," Rivers said in a press release Thursday morning.
Central Vermont Public Service was assisted by utility crews from Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada, as well as close to a dozen utilities in Northern Vermont, including Vermont Electric Power Company, Vermont Electric Cooperative, Ludlow Electric, Morrisville Electric, Swanton Electric, Lyndonville Electric, Hardwick Electric and Burlington Electric Department.
"We couldn't have done it without them. Many of them were with us from late Friday (Dec. 12) on," Rivers said.
On Thursday afternoon, Rivers said Central Vermont Public Service was still expecting the restoration effort to cost about $3 million, but that estimate may be revised after company officials have a chance to review the entire project.
More than 80 utility poles were broken in the storm, more than half of them in Windham County. Rivers said all of those were replaced but she wasn't certain if some of the poles were temporary.
In a press release, Central Vermont Public Service President Robert Young thanked his employees for their efforts in the restoration, as well as the larger community.
"We sincerely appreciate the outpouring of support we've seen from the customers, communities and businesses we serve. I cannot put into words how much we appreciate everyone's efforts, patience and selflessness to restore normalcy to our customers," Young said.
The National Weather Service on Thursday forecast snow, possibly heavy at times, for today with accumulation up to 3 to 5 inches. Snow is also expected on Saturday and Sunday.
Rivers said she didn't expect any of the possible snowstorms to hamper the restoration efforts.
Representatives at the utility said there may be outages that repair workers haven't found because some of the damage affected a small group or even just one customer. Customers without power should call (800) 451-2877.
On Monday, Gov. James Douglas declared a state disaster in Bennington, Windham, Windsor and Orange counties which not only allowed Canadian crews to work in Vermont but also created a possibility for federal aid through a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Individual municipalities have been asked to report their damages to the state.
Contact Patrick McArdle at patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com.
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