Whose lights go on first?
Our customers often ask how we decide who gets their power back on
first. Priority No. 1 is the safety of the public and our employees. After that
hospitals, police and fire stations, and water treatment plants are restored
so they can provide essential services.
High-voltage wires, necessary to bring electricity to neighborhoods, are next.
A decision is then made on what repairs will restore the most power to the
most people in the shortest amount of time.
Crews then focus on smaller distribution lines to neighborhoods and
individual homes.
One common misunderstanding is a customer believing they have been
passed by when an Alabama Power bucket truck rides past. Be aware:
problems a block away – or maybe even a mile away – could be causing your
outage, and the truck is likely on its way to that location.