Northwestern REC crews continue restoration after severe storms

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — On June 14, a series of severe storms moved through Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s service territory, causing widespread damage to homes, businesses and roadways. The Northwestern REC electrical system also sustained substantial damage, resulting in power outages throughout northwestern Pennsylvania.  

At the peak, more than 160 separate outages left more than 9,000 Northwestern REC members without power, approximately half of the cooperative’s membership. Line crews worked quickly, restoring service to more than 7,000 members within the first 24 hours. Restoration efforts continue in areas still impacted by outages. 

Line crews, contracted line crews and tree service contractors began working on outage restoration the afternoon of Sunday, June 14. On Monday, additional crews and equipment arrived through the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA) mutual aid program. Cooperatives helping Northwestern REC with restoration efforts include Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative (Wysox, Pa.), REA Energy Cooperative (Indiana, Pa.), Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (Huntingdon, Pa.) and Citizens’ Electric Cooperative (Lewisburg, Pa.). 

“We are grateful to Claverack, REA Energy, Valley REC and Citizens’ Electric for stepping in when we needed them most,” Northwestern REC President & CEO Ryan Meller said. “Their support reflects the cooperative principle of ‘cooperation among cooperatives’ and allowed our crews to rest so they could continue restoration efforts safely.” 

As of 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 1,440 Northwestern REC members remain without power as a result of 70 separate outages. Due to the severity and widespread nature of the damage to the system, Northwestern REC is unable to provide estimated times of restoration. 

Work is slow going, with dozens of broken poles to replace and several trees wrapped in power lines. On Sunday evening, crews were clearing downed trees from roadways as they traveled to troubleshoot and restore power, further delaying restoration efforts. Crews will continue to work as quickly as safety and conditions allow until all members are restored. 

Northwestern REC understands the hardship extended outages create for members and appreciates their patience as crews continue working through difficult and hazardous conditions. 

Members who need to report a new outage or who received a restoration notification but remain without power should report it through the SmartHub app or call 800-352-0014. 

“We are extremely proud of our line workers and support staff, whose dedication and tireless efforts make it possible to restore power as quickly and safely as conditions allow,” Meller said. “We appreciate our members’ patience and understanding as crews continue working through extensive storm damage. Providing safe, reliable and affordable electric service is at the heart of our mission, and we take pride in being people our communities can count on.”

To see the most up-to-date outage map, please visit https://www.northwesternrec.com/outage-center