Have you heard the Aesop’s Fable about the ant and the grasshopper? In this time-honored story, an ant toils away in the summer heat, storing supplies to get through the upcoming winter, while the grasshopper frolics without a worry in the world. As bitter winter weather sets in, the grasshopper realizes that he should have prepared better. Various endings to this fable exist, but the moral of the story remains the same: we ought to be preparing for difficult times before they are upon us.
In the utility world, the dark clouds of spring and summer carry a much different meaning than they do for the average person. Before I worked for ECE, I enjoyed watching a good summer storm. Something about a strong afternoon storm felt like a revival of the atmosphere, and the drop in humidity was always welcome. Now I see storms in a much different light. They can put our linemen in danger, damage our infrastructure, leave members out of power, and require considerable expense to repair.
After a storm blows through, the visible work starts. However, preparation begins long before storm clouds gather. Like the ant, we have plans in place that enhance the reliability and strength of our infrastructure. We do our best to keep our rights-of-way cleared to help prevent trees from falling on lines. A reliable fleet of vehicles ensures we’ll be ready to mobilize, and our pole yards are stocked with replacement equipment.
ECE’s distribution system includes over 8,400 miles of line across 14 counties. Our service area of 4,300 square miles is a little smaller than the state of Connecticut and larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined. As a result, being prepared for storms is something we take seriously. It’s an important component of providing safe and reliable electricity to our 62,000 members. Thank you for the opportunity to be your electricity provider; let us know if you have questions about storm restoration efforts.
At your service we remain,
Justin