An Overview

Owensboro Municipal Utilities provides electric service to over 25,000 customers, including residential, commercial and industrial. OMU operates its own two-unit power plant located on U.S. Highway 60 East, which supplies power to the City of Owensboro.

The 100-year-old company supplies the city of Owensboro using 345 miles of line (138 KV–17 miles, 69 KV-37 miles, 15 KV-196 miles, 4 KV-40 miles) and 15 substations* divided into 73 circuits.

Who To Call

If a power outage occurs, customers are encouraged to first check their own breaker boxes to assure it is not an internal issue. After this step, we ask that customers look outside to determine if neighboring properties and streetlights are without power. After collecting such information, please call 926-3200. Customers may also want to report any downed lines, noises or other information related to the outage. Their call will be answered by OMU personnel. We remind customers to not assume their neighbors have called in and to phone OMU also.

Anatomy of Outage Recovery

The first step in any outage, large or small scale, is to assess the system. This is done in several steps. SCADA monitoring system and customer calls allow control room personnel to isolate and identify affected areas. This information may also provide important data needed to assess the cause of the problem. At this point, personnel are dispatched to affected areas in order to survey the lines and isolate the damage. After such an assessment, control room personnel dispatch line repair personnel to these areas.

If more than one area is affected, the circuits are prioritized by using the following criteria: restoring power to critical infrastructure facilities such as hospitals and government facilities, with the next priority being the most customers in the shortest period of time. Generally this means beginning with substations and large transmission lines which feed large areas and then working through the primary lines or feeders (or higher voltage lines that deliver power to a particular area) and eventually to secondary lines (lower voltage lines and services lines to individual homes).

Due to the nature of an electrical system, customers may not see OMU trucks working in their area during an outage, as the root of the problem may be at a substation or transmission lines that feed into their neighborhood. In addition, residents may notice OMU personnel and vehicles assessing and isolating the damage before they are able to begin repairs to primary and secondary lines.

Safety First

Our foremost concern is public safety. We want to remind customers to take precautions during an outage. For instance:

-Assume any downed wire is “hot” or electrified and contact us as soon as possible. Keep others including children and animals away from downed lines.

-Do NOT attempt to move any downed line or untangle it from trees or limbs.

Prolonged Outages

Prolonged outages, generally due to extensive storm damage, may mean particular actions should be taken by residents. For instance, customers may wish to have an alternative means for food storage. Refrigerated items, if left in a closed refrigerator, are safe for up to 24 hours. Frozen items will last longer if they remain frozen.

In addition, customers may wish to find shelter with family and friends, or ones provided local agencies including the Red Cross. In such cases, this agency establishes emergency shelters.

Persons with life-sustaining equipment which relies on electricity, should always have a plan for such instances including back-up batteries and/or generators or alternative location.

Generators

Customers who have generators that provide electricity during service outages should assure their generator is isolated from the OMU system during its use. Generators which are not isolated from OMU system present danger to the general public and utility workers. We urge customers to contact the OMU engineering department to obtain information on how to install generators in a safe manner. In addition, we encourage residents and businesses to notify OMU when their generator is in use.

Be Prepared:

A few simple steps can help you be prepared for any event, including a power outage; for instance:

• Keep a flashlight charged and have spare batteries nearby.
• Many of us use portable or cordless phones. Always have one phone in your home that is not reliant on electricity.
• Keep candles and matches easily accessible, but away from children.
• Keep a wind-up or battery-operated alarm clock on hand.
• Turn off appliances and other electrical or electronic equipment to avoid a surge when the power is restored. These include electric ranges, washers, dryers, computers, televisions and microwave ovens.
• Keep other necessities on hand such as a manual can-opener.
• Know how to open your garage door manually.
• Be able to locate your electric box .