BEC linemen Scott Downum and Jay Rasberry use two large bucket trucks to make repairs on LCRA transmission line. Photos by Jesse Salazar.
PRESS RELEASE
October 30, 2019
Before dawn on Tuesday, October 29, power went out for more than 3,900 Bandera Electric Cooperative members in Leakey and the surrounding area. BEC crews responded quickly, and located the source of the problem.
A cross arm on a Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) transmission pole had broken. This portion of line, maintained by LCRA, exists outside of the BEC service territory. However, this transmission line serves as the main source of power for members in the area while BEC’s Leakey substation and transmission infrastructure are being upgraded.
LCRA repair crews were notified of the problem, but were hours away from being able to make the restoration. As a solution, BEC back-fed power from its Utopia substation, restoring power to more than 700 members. Then, BEC obtained permission to repair the transmission line so power could be restored for the remainder of members in a timelier manner.
“Tuesday’s power outage presented a very unique chain of events that had to be coordinated between four electric companies before all power could be restored,” said BEC System Operations Supervisor David Ross.
The total outage lasted eight hours and sixteen minutes, but it could have been much longer had it not been for the quick thinking, hard work and dedication of the BEC linemen.
“Our members’ reliable service is our highest priority, second only to the safety of our personnel. When outages, especially of this magnitude, occur, our members know that BEC is working hard to restore their service. Their patience and understanding do not go unnoticed and are very much appreciated,” said Ross.
About Bandera Electric
Bandera Electric Cooperative currently serves more than 26,000 members and provides highly reliable electric service to more than 36,000 meters in a seven-county territory in the Texas Hill Country. As a member-owned cooperative, BEC continually searches for new, innovative programs to promote energy efficiency and quality member service. Find more information about BEC at BanderaElectric.com or by calling (866) 226-3372.