Current Outage Information

UPDATED January 25, 2010: Northwestern REC experienced several outages on Sunday, January 24 due to Penelec transmission problems. Members in the Vernon area were affected when an automobile accident caused problems with a pole on Penelec's transmission line that feeds the Vernon substation. Members in the Townville, New Richmond, Mill Village and Elgin areas were affected due to problems with the Penelec substation line feeding those substations. Please call 1-800-474-1710 to report an outage.

Northwestern REC now offers TXT message alerts when sizeable outages occur.
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Common Causes of Outages

Power Supply
Penelec transmission lines feed each Co-op substation.

Birds/small animals
Northwestern REC does install animal guards in some locations when required.

Trees and Limbs
Fallen trees or limbs can contact power lines and cause outages.

Severe weather
Wind, lightning and other severe weather condition can and do topple trees, poles or power lines.

Digging
Underground lines are also susceptible to outages. Prior to digging, it is the law to contact PA One Call at 811.

In the event of an outage...
1. Check to see if your neighbors have power.
2. Check your fuses or breakers.
3. If your fuses or breakers are okay, call Northwestern REC at 1-800-474-1710.
4. Immediately report any power line hazards. Avoid downed power lines or anything touching them.

We also recommend to...
» Prepare an outage survival kit before outages occur
» Turn off most lights & unplug appliances
» Keep refrigerator & freezer doors closed
» Tune into local radio stations for updates
» Have an emergency back up plan for extended outages