ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PNM stands ready to dispatch a team to Texas this weekend to assist with the potential impact of Hurricane Ike and help restore power to residents of the Gulf Coast region of Texas.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080811/PNMLOGO)
"We will be sending some very experienced linemen to respond to a request for help from our sister company, and we are prepared to handle nearly any kind of work we're called on to do to assist Texas-New Mexico Power and the residents of the Gulf Coast," said Jeff Nawman, Operations Manager for PNM. "The crews are heading into an unfamiliar service territory where power poles and lines will likely be down. It can be hazardous and sometimes dangerous work, but we recognize that we have an obligation to be a good corporate citizen, not just to our neighbors in Albuquerque, but residents who live in other states, as well."
45 linemen and 27 utility vehicles will leave PNM's Electric Service Center, located at 4201 Edith Boulevard NE in Albuquerque at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14. PNM responded to a request for assistance from PNM's sister company, Texas-New Mexico Power Company (TNMP) on Wednesday evening. TNMP is a provider of electrical and transmission distribution services to approximately 115,000 customers in the Gulf Coast region.
This is the eighth mutual assistance response mission for PNM crews, and linemen anticipate assisting TNMP with a wide variety of post-hurricane restoration work, including the replacement of distribution poles and transformers, repairing downed electrical lines, running new services and repairing transmission structures. The PNM storm team anticipates arriving in the TNMP service area in the early evening on Monday, Sept. 15.
TNMP urged its customers earlier this week to take necessary precautions in order to prepare for Hurricane Ike, which is expected to hit the Gulf Coast region of Texas in the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 13. TNMP's Gulf Coast service area includes Texas City, Dickinson, League City, Friendswood, Alvin, La Marque, Angleton, Sweeny, West Columbia, Brazoria, Bailey's Prairie, Hillcrest Village and Holliday Lakes.
Find out more about TNMP by visiting http://www.tnmp.com/.
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk,
