DALLAS, Dec. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Nearly all Oncor customers will have power restored by late Sunday night, Oncor officials announced Saturday at the same time the company increased the workforce by nearly 50 percent, or 1,200 personnel, by bringing more contractors and employees from other utilities to assist in repairs.
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In less than 24 hours, workers restored power to 140,000 customers.
Significant progress was made on Friday as crews reduced outages from a peak of 270,000 to about 130,000. This progress was made despite the fact that the storm didn't move out of the area until mid-afternoon Friday and weather slowed restoration personnel from beginning their work in some areas until early evening. In addition, icy conditions and dangerous roads significantly slowed the crews' progress.
"We know this is a very difficult time to be without power and we appreciate customers' patience as we work to restore their service. We continue to call on additional resources to assist with restoring power around the clock until everyone is restored, and this winter emergency is over," Jim Greer, Chief Operating Officer for Oncor, said. "Our employees and personnel from across Texas and out of state are committed to restoring power to those customers as quickly as possible, which is why we believe nearly all customers can be restored by Sunday night."
Greer noted the only customers that may not be restored are those customers whose equipment on their homes was damaged or those customers in rural areas. Improved weather forecasts also helped set Sunday as the likely completion date for most customers. With the addition of 1,200 out-of-area workers, Oncor will have more than 3,700 employees, contractors and workers from other utilities completing repairs.
"Safety continues to be our number one priority. It's important that people always assume that any downed power line is energized and dangerous. Customers should keep their families and pets away and immediately call 911 if they see a downed power line," Greer said.
Customers without power are asked to notify Oncor's 24-hour outage hotline at 888.313.4747, text OUT to 66267 or report outages to http://stormcenter.oncor.com. If you see a downed power line, call 911 immediately. Stay away from downed power lines and any tree limbs that might be touching them.
Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC ("Oncor") is a regulated electricity distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to consumers. Oncor operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, delivering power to more than 3.2 million homes and businesses and operating approximately 119,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines in Texas. While Oncor is owned by a limited number of investors (including majority owner, Energy Future Holdings Corp.), Oncor is managed by its Board of Directors, which is comprised of a majority of independent directors.
SOURCE Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC
