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Jan 25, 2012 - Upgrade Will Improve Plymouth Area Service Reliability
PLYMOUTH, NH - Work is underway on the upgrade of a seven-mile stretch of utility corridor that will increase the reliability of electric service for New Hampshire Electric Co-op (NHEC) members in Plymouth and surrounding towns.
The upgrade involves the replacement of all NHEC poles and wire along the highway right-of-way that runs from Rumney through Plymouth to Holderness along Route 25, Fairgrounds Road and Route 3. When the work is complete, redundant ties will connect four NHEC substations in the Plymouth area, allowing for power to be rerouted in the event of an outage affecting members served by any of the four substations.
The upgrade will also enable the Groton Wind Farm, if it receives necessary permits, to deliver power from the farm site to the electrical grid. A total of 24 wind turbines capable of producing up to 48 megawatts of power are proposed for construction by Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. atop two ridges in the town of Groton. The new poles being installed by NHEC will have space for two new electric lines that can carry power from the site and deliver it to a new substation to be built by Northeast Utilities off Route 175 near the Campton – Holderness town line.
The majority of new poles planned for the right-of-way will be 50 to 55 feet in height and will replace poles that are 45 to 50 feet tall. Work is scheduled to be completed by August 2012.
Jan 23, 2012 - February 6 Deadline for Board Candidates to Seek Nomination
PLYMOUTH – Members of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NHEC) interested in being considered for nomination to the Board of Directors should submit their material to the Nominating Committee by noon on February 6, 2012. More information about the Board candidate election process and a Candidate Questionnaire are available here.
“The Co-op seeks highly qualified members with diverse personal, professional and geographical backgrounds, as well as broad education and experience,” says Fred Anderson, NHEC President/CEO. “As a member-owned, non-profit organization, serving on the Board of Directors is one of the ways members have a direct impact on how this democratically controlled organization is run. It is an important and rewarding job.”
Board members are elected to three-year terms. Four of the 11 seats are up for election this year. Election ballots will be mailed to all members in May. Winners will be seated at the Annual Meeting of Members, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
The Nominating Committee meets numerous times to review applications and interview candidates for the Board of Directors. After completing the process, they nominate a slate of candidates to be included on the ballot. The candidates selected will be identified on the ballot as having been nominated by the Nominating Committee.
If you are interested in applying, contact Sharon Yeaton at 603-536-8801 or yeatons@nhec.com for a candidate packet.
Jan 4, 2012 - Planned Outage Scheduled Thursday, January 5 in Lyme
A planned power outage will interrupt service to 220 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) on Thursday, January 5 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in Lyme.
The outage will allow NHEC to remove a two large ‘trouble trees’ from a power line right-of-way located off Highbridge Road in Lyme. The trees are in danger of falling across power lines and need to be removed as soon as possible.
Members affected by this planned outage have received automated phone calls from NHEC notifying them of the impending outage. They include members on all or parts of the following roads in Lyme: Dorchester Road, Flint Hill Road, Pout Pond Road, Smith Mountain Road, Acorn Hill Road, Franklin Hill Road, Reservoir Road, Hardscrabble Road, Highbridge Road, Pony Hill Road, Pinnacle Road, Whipple Hill Road, Culver Hill Lane/Road, Post Pond Road, Breck Hill Road, River Road, Orford Road, Tavern Lane.
NHEC regrets the inconvenience, however removal of these trees now will prevent a larger, lengthier outage in the future.
Dec 21, 2011 - NHEC to Make Switch to All-LED Outdoor Lighting
PLYMOUTH - Embracing a technology that has come of age, New Hampshire Electric Co-op is the first utility in New Hampshire to offer only LED outdoor lighting solutions.
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source that is used as indicator lamps in many devices and is increasingly used for other lighting. While LED technology has been in use since the 1960’s, it has only recently been adopted as the technology of choice for outdoor area lighting. LED streetlights last five times as long as traditional High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights (23-25 years) and use less than half the energy. LEDs also provide more even lighting and a truer rendering of colors, which means no more orange hues at night!
NHEC owns approximately 4,600 outdoor area lights in its service territory. NHEC will be phasing out existing HPS lighting fixtures when they fail by replacing them with LEDs. LED fixtures have a higher upfront cost, but more than make up for it with a 25-year life and reduced operating costs.
Effective January 1, 2012, monthly charges will change to reflect the transition to LED technology. NHEC will be providing a choice of three lights – two cobrahead roadway fixtures and a floodlight fixture. Charges for the roadway fixtures will be 90 cents less per month or $2.70 less per month, depending on the fixture. The monthly charge for floodlight fixtures will be $1.95 more per month.
Dec 14, 2011 - NHEC Foundation Takes a Bite Out of Hunger
The NHEC Foundation recently granted $30,000 to the New Hampshire Food Bank to help stock the shelves of food pantries within NHEC’s service territory. Included in the grant was a commitment to host three Mobile Food Pantries in underserved areas of the state, the first of which was held on Dec. 3rd in Colebrook. With the help of volunteers from the NH Food Bank, NHEC and the St. Brendan’s Church food pantry, nearly 300 people from the greater Colebrook area filled their bags with enough food to make for a happy holiday.
Dec 14, 2011 - New Year, Lower Rates
A combination of rate changes effective January 1 will result in a net decrease of 3.2% for most NHEC members. The typical residential member using 500 kWh per month will see their bill go down $3.14.
Stranded Cost Charge Ends!
Since 2000, members have paid for stranded costs related to NHEC’s outstanding Seabrook nuclear power plant debt and the termination of a power contract with PSNH as required by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. The charge has decreased annually to reflect the change in debt obligation and 2012 marks the retirement of that debt and the charge itself.
Other Rate Changes
In 2008, NHEC embarked on a project to implement telecommunications infrastructure improvements/CSI (Communication System Infrastructure) and an AMI (Automated Metering Infrastructure) system. As the stranded cost debt was paid down, the Stranded Cost Charge was reduced while a corresponding increase in the Delivery kWh charge was made in order to fund the project.
NHEC will continue to collect funds in the Delivery kWh charge for the CSI/AMI project. A Department of Energy Smart Grid Grant was received by NHEC in 2010, which pays 45% of the project costs. For more information on the project, visit www.nhec.com/AMI.
Member Charge Increase
As of January 1, 2012, the Member Service Charge will go from $22.35 to $23.24. This is a 4% increase and reflects a continued effort to bring the Member Service Charge closer to the actual cost to serve each meter. This increase is offset by a reduction in the Delivery kWh charge that takes effect January 1, 2012.
Overall, members will see a net decrease of 3.2% in the new year.
Dec 8, 2011 - OUTAGE UPDATE December 8; 3 p.m.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 3 p.m.
Further damage has occurred to a section of power lines in Deerfield, where trees have taken down wires and kept approximately 1,000 members without power.
At least five spans of wire are down in an offroad section of right-of-way between Route 107 and the Deerfield Fairgrounds. The damage will require assistance from a tracked vehicle and multiple tree cutting crews before line crews can make repairs. Manpower and equipment are at the scene at this time and all crews are working. Crews will work into the night until the repairs are made. A precise restoration time is not available at this time, however members in Deerfield, Raymond, Allenstown and Candia can expect to be without power at least through early evening.
The outage is the largest that remains from the damaging winds that swept through the state early this morning. At the height of the storm, approximately 7,400 members were without power. That number is down to 1,600 at the time of this update. NHEC expects to restore all outages not related to the Deerfield outage by 7 p.m.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 1 p.m.
NHEC and contract crews have restored power to approximately 5,000 Co-op members since 7 a.m. At the time of this update, 2,472 members remained without power as a result of the wind storm that hit the state early this morning. With the exception of individual, scattered outages, NHEC expects to have service fully restored by 7 p.m. tonight.
The majority of current outages are located in the southeastern part of the state, where the loss of power supply to NHEC’s Deerfield substation continues to affect approximately 1,000 members in Deerfield, Raymond, Allenstown and Candia. The transmission line serving the Deerfield substation is owned by Public Service of New Hampshire, which has five crews making repairs at this time. According to PSNH, restoration is expected by 5 p.m.
Other trouble spots include the town of Meredith, where a large outage is affecting approximately 250 members in the Meredith Neck area. More manpower and equipment are being redeployed to the Meredith and Raymond areas this afternoon as other areas of the state are cleaned up.
Follow real-time outage status on the NHEC website ( http://www.nhec.com/oms.php). Updates are also posted on Facebook and Twitter(@NHEC_OUTAGE).
Thursday, December 8, 2011 8 a.m.
High winds crossing the state this morning have knocked out power to approximately 7,300 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative.
NHEC and contract crews are working at this time to restore power to Co-op members across the state. System damage appears widespread, with 114 separate outages reported in towns from the Connecticut River Valley to the Mount Washington Valley.
At this time there are no estimated restoration times available as crews assess the extent of the damage. With strong sustained winds and gusts over 40 miles-per-hour forecast for the rest of the day, it is likely that outages will be occurring throughout the day.
Towns with the highest number of members out include Conway (919), Jackson (860), Meredith (741), Raymond (455) and Deerfield (401)
The next update will be posted at 1 p.m. today.
Dec 5, 2011 - December 3 Power Outage Caused by Tree Cutting Mishap
PLYMOUTH, NH – Power was interrupted to approximately 7,400 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) for five hours on Saturday, December 3 when a tree on private property was accidentally felled on a 34,500-volt transmission line.
The transmission line, owned by Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH), provides power to two NHEC substations located in Rumney and Plymouth. Loss of power to the substations left large parts of Plymouth and all of Rumney without power, and affected NHEC members as far away as Piermont and Orange.
PSNH and NHEC crews worked to repair the damaged power line, which runs behind a home on Fairgrounds Road in Plymouth where the incident occurred at 9:25 a.m. Power was eventually restored at 2:42 p.m.
In light of the cost and inconvenience associated with power outages, particularly a weekend outage in the run-up to the Christmas holiday, NHEC is urging homeowners and contractors to use an abundance of caution when trimming or cutting trees near power lines.
Nov 23, 2011 - SERVICE RESTORED: November 24; 12 MIDNIGHT
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011 12 MIDNIGHT
All members affected by the Thanksgiving snowstorm have been restored. NHEC wishes to thank our members for their patience and the NHEC and contract line crews, who restored service to more than 16,000 members in less than a day. Happy Thanksgiving!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011 4 PM
At the time of this update, line and tree crews are working their way through a list of 92 outages that are affecting approximately 3,800 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC). Work is focused at this time in the towns served by NHEC’s Andover, Plymouth and Meredith operating districts. Crews are working larger outages currently in the following towns: Alton, Rumney, Moultonborough, Northfield and Andover.
Crews will be working until 11 p.m. tonight and expect to have all major outages restored by then. However, this storm has caused significant damage to smaller side taps and individual service lines, all of which will not be restored until Thursday afternoon. Some areas can expect to be without power overnight tonight, including Murray Hill Road and Borough Road in Hill; Sandogardy Pond Road and Intervale Road in Northfield; parts of Alexandria; and Razor Hill Road in Grafton.
Crews are expecting to have most of Stinson Lake Road in Rumney restored by tonight, as well as the area near the Rumney Bible Conference. Crews were also working a large outage at this time in the South Road and Bay Hill Road areas of Northfield.
With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, NHEC apologizes to those members who have been inconvenienced by this latest unusual weather event.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011 12 NOON
Approximately 6,800 NHEC members were without power at the time of this update, down from a high of 16,000 at 6 a.m. today.
NHEC and contract line crews are focusing on the largest outages at this time, which are affecting members mainly in the Plymouth and Meredith areas. Large outages include:
· A main circuit out of the Rumney Substation, affecting 1373 members in Rumney and parts of west Plymouth
· A main circuit out of the Bridgewater Substation, affecting 827 members in Bridgewater and parts of southern Plymouth.
· Meredith has the largest number of members out at this time with 852. Large outages are affecting members on Meredith Neck (200), Plymouth Street and downtown Meredith (200), and Keyser Road. There are numerous scattered outages in Meredith affecting less than 100 people per outage.
With the weather improving today, crews will be making good progress in restoring these large outages by the end of the day. However, it is possible that some scattered individual outages will not be restored until Thursday morning.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011 9 AM
Power outages caused by the overnight snowstorm are affecting 10,300 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) in 53 towns.
Parts of the Lakes Region and the Plymouth area have seen significant damage to the electrical system caused by trees and limbs snapping under the weight of wet snow. At the time of this update, towns with the highest number of outages included: Holderness (1,412), Alton (826), Meredith (752) and Warren (598).
With snow changing to rain before the storm leaves the state, there is the possibility that outages will continue to occur throughout the day. NHEC is still assessing the extent of damage and estimated restoration times are not available at this time. The next update will be issued at noon.
NHEC serves 80,000 members in 115 New Hampshire communities.
TEUSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2011 12 NOON
PLYMOUTH, NH – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) is preparing for the possibility of widespread power outages as a result of a winter storm that is projected to hit the state later tonight.
At this time, NHEC has a dozen contract line and tree crews on standby to assist the company’s 40 line crews if needed. Out-of-state help is also available if necessary from the network of Northeast Public Power Association utilities, of which NHEC is a member. Employees have been notified of the impending weather and NHEC’s 10 operating facilities located around the state have been stocked with supplies and equipment necessary to handle an extended outage event.
With 6-12 inches of wet snow possible across much of its service territory starting this evening, NHEC is encouraging members to prepare now for possible power outages. Some simple steps to weather a power outage include:
· Securing adequate stores of water – line your bathtub (if possible) and fill it with water for use in flushing toilets. Store bottled water for drinking (approx. one gallon per person per day).
· Charging cell phones and mobile devices – report your outage by calling NHEC 24/7 at 1-800-343-6432. Outage updates will be communicated on the NHEC website ( nhec.coop), Facebook and Twitter ( @NHEC_OUTAGE).
· Checking flashlights – best to find out now that the batteries are dead instead of when the lights go out.
· Deciding where and when to go – NHEC will do its best to estimate a restoration time for your neighborhood, but make a plan now for where you will go (family, friend, shelter) if you’re not going to weather the outage at home.
· Put food on ice – fill a cooler with ice and stock it with food to get you through 24-48 hours without power. If the power goes out, open the refrigerator or freezer only sparingly – each peek lets the cold out.
Nov 22, 2011 - NHEC Prepping for Possible Storm-related Outages
TEUSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2011 12 NOON
PLYMOUTH, NH – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) is preparing for the possibility of widespread power outages as a result of a winter storm that is projected to hit the state later tonight.
At this time, NHEC has a dozen contract line and tree crews on standby to assist the company’s 40 line crews if needed. Out-of-state help is also available if necessary from the network of Northeast Public Power Association utilities, of which NHEC is a member. Employees have been notified of the impending weather and NHEC’s 10 operating facilities located around the state have been stocked with supplies and equipment necessary to handle an extended outage event.
With 6-12 inches of wet snow possible across much of its service territory starting this evening, NHEC is encouraging members to prepare now for possible power outages. Some simple steps to weather a power outage include:
· Securing adequate stores of water – line your bathtub (if possible) and fill it with water for use in flushing toilets. Store bottled water for drinking (approx. one gallon per person per day).
· Charging cell phones and mobile devices – report your outage by calling NHEC 24/7 at 1-800-343-6432. Outage updates will be communicated on the NHEC website ( nhec.coop), Facebook and Twitter ( @NHEC_OUTAGE).
· Checking flashlights – best to find out now that the batteries are dead instead of when the lights go out.
· Deciding where and when to go – NHEC will do its best to estimate a restoration time for your neighborhood, but make a plan now for where you will go (family, friend, shelter) if you’re not going to weather the outage at home.
· Put food on ice – fill a cooler with ice and stock it with food to get you through 24-48 hours without power. If the power goes out, open the refrigerator or freezer only sparingly – each peek lets the cold out.
Nov 3, 2011 - Meredith Outage (11/2) Caused by Equipment Failure
MEREDITH - A power outage affecting approximately 6,500 members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) on Wednesday afternoon (11/2) at 3:25 p.m. was caused by equipment failure at NHEC’s Meredith substation. The outage was unrelated to the damage caused by the weekend snowstorm, which left 13,000 NHEC members without power.
The outage affected members in Meredith, Center Harbor, Holderness, New Hampton and Gilford. Power was restored within 50 minutes by re-routing power to the affected area from the Corliss Hill and Center Harbor substations. This is a temporary fix, however, and NHEC is making plans to move its mobile substation transformer to the Meredith substation, where it will be put into service next week.
The outage was caused by the failure of the Meredith substation transformer, which reduces the voltage of the electricity coming into the substation from 34,000 volts to 15,000. The transformer was installed in 1986 but was not near the end of its expected lifetime. It will undergo a series of tests to determine the cause of the failure. In the meantime, NHEC’s mobile transformer will remain in service until the damaged unit is repaired or replaced.
Nov 1, 2011 - OUTAGE UPDATE: November 1, 2011 2 p.m. SERVICE RESTORED
OUTAGE UPDATE
11/1/11
2 p.m.
SERVICE RESTORED
With only 23 members still without power, New Hampshire Electric Co-op expects to be fully restored from the weekend snowstorm within the hour. NHEC crews are wrapping up system repairs that will restore service to members in the following towns: Raymond (15), Sandown (3), Derry (2), Allenstown (1), Epping (1) and Durham (1).
Since Sunday morning (10/30), NHEC, with assistance from contract line and tree crews, have restored service to approximately 13,000 members. NHEC wishes to thank its members for their patience and support, as well as its hard working line crews and back office support team that worked round the clock to recover from this unusual weather event.
NHEC is reminding members who may still be without power today to call 1-800-343-6432 to make sure NHEC is aware of your outage.
With work largely complete on the NHEC system, a contingent of NHEC line crews and equipment will be providing assistance to Public Service of New Hampshire as they continue the massive restoration effort underway in other parts of New Hampshire.
NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
OUTAGE UPDATE
11/1/11
9 a.m.
NHEC and contract crews are working 47 outages in 16 towns that were affected by the weekend snowstorm. NHEC expects to have service fully restored to all members by this afternoon.
At the height of the storm, more than 13,000 members had lost power. This morning, 30 line and tree crews are working to restore service to 970 members in the following towns: Derry, Chester, Raymond, Lee, Brentwood and Deerfield. Restoration of circuits in these towns will also restore service to members in other towns, including Sandown, Nottingham, Fremont, Candia, Londonderry, Allenstown, Durham, Epping and Kingston. At the time of this update, Sandown had the largest number of members without power at 406.
Real-time outage status is available at the NHEC website: http://www.nhec.com/oms.php. Updates are also posted on Facebook and Twitter (NHEC_OUTAGE).
NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
OUTAGE UPDATE
10/31/11 5 p.m.
A combination of factors is forcing a delay in the estimated restoration time for some members of New Hampshire Electric Co-op affected by the weekend snowstorm. NHEC expects to have service fully restored by tomorrow afternoon (11/1).
The discovery of several broken primary poles in Derry, impassable roads in some locations and the loss of power supply to the Co-op’s Deerfield substation has slowed the pace of restorations today. At the time of this update, approximately 3,000 NHEC members were without power.
Working with transmission provider Public Service of New Hampshire, NHEC hopes to have power supply restored to the Deerfield substation by nightfall today. This will restore service to a large number of members in Deerfield, Allenstown and Epping.
NHEC and contract crews have been focusing much of their efforts this afternoon in the Fremont Road area in Sandown, Derry and Chester. Crews have also been working in Nottingham and Lee. Three 40-foot primary poles broken by fallen limbs were discovered near the Chester substation, requiring a lengthy repair effort. A number of other poles located off-road have limbs and debris tangled in the wires, which can only be removed by crews climbing the poles in hooks and harnesses. NHEC appreciates the patience of its members while we deal with the last, stubborn outages caused by this unusual fall storm.
As of 5 p.m. today, NHEC was working 39 separate outages in the following towns:
Allenstown
Auburn
Candia
Chester
Danville
Deerfield
Derry
Epping
Fremont
Lee
Nottingham
Raymond
Sandown
NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
OUTAGE UPDATE
10/31/11
9 a.m.
Crews remain on schedule to have the majority of restorations complete by 6 p.m. today in the wake of the Halloween snow storm that knocked out power to approximately 13,000 NHEC members. At the time of this update, approximately 6,700 NHEC members remained without power.
Thirty NHEC, contract and tree crews are working outages this morning in the following towns: Derry, Chester, Raymond, Lee, Brentwood and Deerfield. Work in these towns will also help restore power to members in neighboring towns that are served by the same lines in Sandown, Nottingham, Candia, Allenstown, Epping, Danville, Fremont, Londonderry, Kingston, Auburn, Epsom and Durham.
Power supply has been restored to all NHEC substations and metering points as of this morning, which will allow service to be immediately restored once repairs are made to the NHEC distribution system. It is likely that scattered, individual outages will continue into tomorrow (11/1). If you are still without power by nightfall today, please contact NHEC at 1-800-343-6432 to make sure we are aware of your outage.
Shelters are open in the following locations:
Brentwood - Brentwood Community Center Hooksett - Cawley Middle School Londonderry - Londonderry High School Manchester - Manchester Memorial High School Nashua - Nashua High School North Newmarket - Newmarket Community Center Rochester - Rochester Community Center
NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE OUTAGE UPDATE 10/30/11 6 p.m.
NHEC and contract crews have restored power to 7,000 members since daybreak today, when over 13,000 members had lost power due to the late fall snowstorm. At the time of this update, approximately 6,700 members were without power.
With outages restored in other parts of the state today, all crews will be joining the restoration effort this evening and tomorrow in the southeastern part of Co-op service territory, which has sustained significant damage due to trees and limbs falling on power lines.
As of 6 p.m. today, the towns with highest number of outages were Sandown, Raymond, Chester and Nottingham. NHEC expects to restore service to members in these towns and all others by 6 p.m. tomorrow (10/31). It is likely that scattered, individual outages will persist into Tuesday, November 1. Below is a list of outages by town.
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Sandown
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1,379
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Raymond
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1,235
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Chester
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828
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Nottingham
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533
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Deerfield
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398
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Lee
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392
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Derry
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298
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Candia
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291
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Allenstown
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280
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Epping
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280
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Danville
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196
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Fremont
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196
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Londonderry
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160
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Brentwood
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150
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Kingston
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118
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Auburn
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81
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Epsom
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33
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NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE OUTAGE UPDATE 10/30/11 1 p.m.
New Hampshire Electric Cooperative is providing Estimated Times of Restoration (ETORs) for members in towns affected by the Halloween snow storm. The large majority of members can expect to have their power restored by late afternoon tomorrow (10/31). It is likely that scattered, individual outages will persist through the day on Tuesday, November 1. At the time of this update, 10,100 NHEC members were without power. As work is completed elsewhere, crews are being assigned to the Raymond area in southeastern New Hampshire, which has sustained the worst of the storm damage. Follow real-time outage status here: http://www.nhec.com/oms.php
ETORs by Town:
Sunday, October 30 9 p.m.
Acworth
Alton
Barnstead
Charlestown
Ellsworth
Holderness
Madison
Marlow
Meredith
Moultonborough
Ossipee
Pittsfield
Sandwich
Thornton
Tuftonboro
Wilmot
Monday, October 31 6 p.m.
Allenstown
Auburn
Brentwood
Candia
Chester
Danville
Deerfield
Derry
Durham
Epping
Epsom
Fremont
Kingston
Lee
Londonderry
Northwood
Nottingham
Raymond
Sandown
NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE OUTAGE UPDATE 10/30/11 8 a.m.
A fall snowstorm has dumped anywhere from five to 20 inches of heavy, wet snow on Co-op service territory, resulting in power outages for approximately 12,400 members.
The hardest hit areas are in the southeastern towns surrounding NHEC’s Raymond District office, including (members out): Raymond (1,869), Sandown (1,379), Barnstead (1008), Derry (939), Nottingham (929), Chester (909), Deerfield (691) and Lee (571).
NHEC and contract line crews are working a list of 125 separate outages. Out of state assistance is en route to New Hampshire from electric cooperatives in Delaware and North Carolina. The forecast calls for warmer weather, which will speed the restoration effort. However, this will likely be a multiple-day clean-up. Further refining of estimated restoration times will occur throughout the day as crews are able to assess system damage in the daylight.
A high number of NHEC substations have lost power due to the storm. NHEC is working with Public Service of New Hampshire, its power supplier, to patrol the transmission lines serving six down substations in Deerfield, Derry, Raymond, Alexandria, Chester and Barnstead. Restoration of power supply to these substations will put thousands of members back on, however patrolling the lines and making repairs will take time.
To report an outage, please call NHEC at 1-800-343-6432. Real-time outage status is available online at www.nhec.coop. Outage updates are also available via Twitter feed - @NHEC_OUTAGE.
Sep 21, 2011 - FEMA Aid Available for Grafton & Carroll County Residents
Disaster assistance is now available for eligible homeowners, renters and business owners in Carroll and Grafton counties who suffered losses related to severe storms and flooding from Tropical Storm Irene August 26 thru September 6.
Disaster officials with New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge people in these counties to register by calling the FEMA’s toll-free telephone number 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Individuals with a speech or hearing disability may call (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available to assist all callers.
Online registration can be made at www.disasterassistance.gov. Using a Web-enabled device or a smartphone, visit m.fema.gov and follow the link to “apply online for federal assistance.” Before applicants call or go online, they should gather the following information to speed the process:
- Social Security number
- Telephone number where they can be reached
- Address of the damaged property
- Current mailing address
- Brief description of disaster-related damages and losses
- Insurance information
- Direct deposit information to help speed delivery of funds
People who have registered with New Hampshire’s 211 system, American Red Cross or other helping agencies must also register with FEMA if they want access to federal assistance. FEMA does do not duplicate losses covered by insurance. If you have insurance, it is important to begin the claims process at the same time.
Aug 31, 2011 - Power Fully Restored; Crews Build New Lines Over Pemi River at Loon
LINCOLN, NH – It took New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) crews about 12 hours to build 1,000 feet of new power lines over the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River overnight, ensuring the flow of power to parts of Lincoln left vulnerable by the partial collapse of the Loon Mountain International Bridge.
The bridge, which connects Loon Mountain and dozens of nearby homes to Route 112, was heavily damaged by flood waters during Tropical Storm Irene. In addition to carrying pedestrians and vehicles across the Pemi, the bridge also carries a total of six power lines to feed the resort area and homes in the South Peak development.
“The bridge is very unstable in its current state,” said NHEC VP of Operations & Engineering Jim Bakas. “If we lose the rest of it in the river it would do heavy damage to our lines and equipment and result in a lengthy outage. For that reason, we made the decision to build a new crossing as quickly as possible.”
NHEC and contract crews, many of whom had just worked back-to-back 16 hour shifts restoring storm-related power outages, worked through the night to erect poles, pull wire across the river and prepare terminations. By 5 a.m. today, the new lines were nearly ready to be energized. The actual cutover of power to the new crossing will occur later this afternoon or early evening.
The overnight line construction marked the end of a busy week for NHEC line crews. At the height of the storm on Sunday, more than 32,000 NHEC members had lost power. With help from contract and out-of-state crews, the last outages were restored by early afternoon August 31 – just in time to start work on the Pemi River crossing.
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Aug 25, 2011 - NHEC Prepares for Hurricane Irene
PLYMOUTH, NH - The New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) is preparing for Hurricane Irene and possible power outages this weekend. NHEC urges members to be prepared.
NHEC is implementing a storm preparedness plan that includes:
· Contacting vendors to ensure adequate supplies of emergency stock and poles
· Contacting out-of-state utilities away from the projected storm path to have extra line crews available
· Contacting tree crews to have help available if needed
· Fueling up all vehicles
· Checking chain saws and ensuring adequate supplies of oil and gas
· Checking operation of emergency generators and ensuring adequate fuel supply
Similarly, NHEC is encouraging its members to begin their own storm preparations, including:
- Designating the safest shelter location. Be prepared to leave mobile homes for better protection. Develop a plan for someone disabled.
- Assembling an emergency kit with non-perishable food, water, flashlights, battery-operated radio and extra batteries, lanterns, canned fuel, matches, and first aid. If applicable, have enough prescription drugs, pet food, and baby-care items.
- Having identification and documentation ready to grab. Keep important documents in a water-proof file box.
- Cordless phones do not work when power is out; keep cell phones charged.
- Make sure NHEC has your current phone number to expedite outage reporting and restoration. Associate a cell phone number with your account.
- Before a storm hits, unplug TVs, DVD/ VCR players, microwave oven, and computers to protect them from power surges and lightning strikes.
What to do if power goes out
- Call NHEC at 800-342-6432. Current systemwide outage status is available online at www.nhec.coop, if you have access. The Member Solutions Call Center will be staffed round the clock in the event of major outages.
- If you see downed power lines and poles, stay away. Even debris near power lines could be energized. Notify NHEC immediately.
- Open freezers and refrigerators only when necessary.
- Use portable generators, camp stoves, or grills outdoors to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Alternatively, heat food in a chafing dish or fondue pot over canned fuel.
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07/11/2011
$10,000 Reward Offered for Info on Copper Thefts
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06/23/2011
NHEC Foundation, Make-a-Wish Team Up for 1000th Wish
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06/13/2011
New Members Join Board at 72nd Annual Meeting
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05/25/2011
NHEC Foundation Pitches In to Save Spectacle Pond
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05/23/2011
72nd Annual Meeting of Members Is June 8
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05/18/2011
NHEC Foundation Announces Creation of Kathy Anderson Scholarship
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04/21/2011
Capital Credits Listed on April/May Bills
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04/20/2011
April Rate Changes Result in Overall Bill Decrease
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04/18/2011
Survey Respondents Needed for NH Energy Study
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04/18/2011
Holderness Library Celebrates 100th With Lighting Upgrade
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04/05/2011
Home Performance Program Wins National Award
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03/10/2011
OUTAGE UPDATE: Thursday, March 10; 10 a.m.
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03/07/2011
OUTAGE UPDATE: MARCH 7, 11 A.M.
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03/07/2011
OUTAGE UPDATE: MARCH 7 @ 3 P.M.
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02/22/2011
NHEC Hires Elster Group for Advanced Metering Project
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01/28/2011
Feb. 15 Deadline Set for Board Candidates to File Papers
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01/19/2011
NHEC Contracts Green Mountain Communications for Advanced Metering Project
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12/01/2010
Co-op Renewable Choice Program Is First Green Power Option
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11/01/2010
November 1 Rate Change Results In Slight Monthly Decrease
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10/28/2010
New Fiber Optic Cable to Connect Plymouth, Meredith
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10/13/2010
Co-op Hybrids Hit the Road
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08/09/2010
Judy Gove Named VP of Business & Government Relations
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08/02/2010
New Moultonborough Substation Sharing Summer Load
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06/18/2010
State to Hold Plymouth 'Beacon Community' Meeting June 28
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06/15/2010
BOD Election Results Announced
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05/18/2010
71st Annual Meeting & Spaghetti Dinner Is Thursday, June 10
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05/17/2010
Voting Opens for Five Seats on Board of Directors
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04/19/2010
Heating System Rebates Now Available
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04/01/2010
Recycle Your 'Fridge, Earn $30
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03/04/2010
February Wind Storm Causes Extensive Damage
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02/09/2010
NHEC Foundation Awards $220,000 in 2009
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02/01/2010
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Briefed on NHEC Smart Grid Plans
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01/28/2010
NHEC Now Accepting Applications for 2010 Scholarships
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01/26/2010
February 10 Deadline Set for BOD Candidates
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01/12/2010
Co-op Bell Ringers Raise $3,578
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01/12/2010
'Cut the Carbon' Kits Available at Local Libraries
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12/15/2009
Button Up NH Announces Winter Weatherization Workshops
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10/30/2009
Rate Changes Result in Overall Winter Decrease
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10/21/2009
NHEC Accepting Sealed Bids for Vehicles, Equipment
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09/08/2009
4th Annual Cooperative Covered Bridge 5K Nets $6,700
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07/02/2009
Watch 2009 Annual Meeting on Youtube
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06/12/2009
Co-op Members Raise $1,000 for Plymouth Senior Meals
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06/10/2009
At 70th Annual Meeting, Co-op Looks Ahead
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05/04/2009
BOD Election Ballots Mailing to Members
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04/20/2009
NHEC Announces Rebates on Renewable Energy Systems
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04/14/2009
'Capital Credits' to Be Listed on April/May Bills
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04/09/2009
'Red Flag' Requirements Help Fight Identity Theft
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03/09/2009
NHEC Lineman Receives Life Saving Award
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01/29/2009
Feb. 11 Deadline to Apply for Nomination to Board
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12/23/2008
NHEC HQ Closed December 26
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12/20/2008
ICE STORM UPDATES
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12/20/2008
Major Repair Work Complete Following Ice Storm
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11/25/2008
Seeking Candidates for BOD, Nominating Committee
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11/17/2008
Co-op Food Bank Challenge Hits $100,000 Goal, Donations Still Accepted
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10/08/2008
Wind Power to Flow Soon Through Co-op Country
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09/02/2008
Co-op Covered Bridge 5K Results
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07/29/2008
Co-op Launches $100,000 Food Bank Challenge
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06/24/2008
Annual Meeting 2008: Renewable Energy Contracts Announced
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06/24/2008
Reals, Incumbents Elected to NHEC Board
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06/09/2008
Annual Meeting Is June 21 at Loon Mountain
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05/30/2008
NHEC Hosts June 3 Town Energy Forum
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05/07/2008
Seasonal Rate Adjustment Effective May 1, 2008
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04/23/2008
Online Outage Map Goes Live
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03/31/2008
Co-op Aims to Reduce Carbon Footprint
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03/25/2008
NHEC Foundation Passes Half-Million Dollar Mark
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03/06/2008
Ski Partnership Wins National Energy Efficiency Award
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01/29/2008
Committee Sets Feb. 15 Deadline for BOD Nominations
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01/16/2008
A New Home for Squam's Ospreys
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12/13/2007
NHEC Wins National Energy Efficiency Award
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11/27/2007
Lighting Project Brings Out the Stars in Waterville Valley
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09/03/2007
Cooperative Covered Bridge 5K Nets $6,000 for Pemi Youth Center
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08/22/2007
NHEC Foundation Awards $46,000 in Grants
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08/22/2007
Co-op Lineman Named 'Huskie Tools Hero'
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08/06/2007
2nd Annual Pemi Youth Cooperative Covered Bridge 5K Set for September 1
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07/30/2007
Co-op's Revolving Loan Fund Is Open for Business
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06/18/2007
Annual Meeting 2007 Focuses on Changing Energy Landscape
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06/18/2007
Four Incumbents Re-Elected to NHEC Board
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05/25/2007
NHEC Joins 25x'25 Renewable Energy Coalition
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05/08/2007
68th Annual Meeting to be held June 12 at Plymouth State University
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04/22/2007
Power Fully Restored Following April Nor'Easter
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04/21/2007
APRIL STORM PICS
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04/16/2007
Four Candidates Nominated for Board of Directors
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03/30/2007
NHEC Honored for Board Development
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02/13/2007
Energy Efficiency Puts NHEC in National Spotlight
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01/18/2007
Wanted: Exceptional High School Juniors for 2007 Youth Tour
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01/15/2007
Now Accepting Applications for 2007 Scholarships
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01/03/2007
NHEC Seeks Board Candidates for Nomination
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01/03/2007
NHEC Foundation Grant Brings History Alive
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11/01/2006
Hard Work, Teamwork, Key to Storm Restoration
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10/25/2006
NHEC Foundation Donates $10,700 to NH Food Bank
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10/04/2006
State Announces New Eligibility Requirements for Electric Assistance Program
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09/07/2006
Miller, Westerling Blaze to Victory at Pemi Youth Cooperative Covered Bridge 5K
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07/20/2006
NHEC Receives Grant for Economic Development Loan Program
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06/28/2006
NHEC and Pemi Youth Center Hosted Cooperative Covered Bridge 5K Road Race
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06/08/2006
Annual Meeting 2006: Another Good Year, but Challenges Lie Ahead
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05/25/2006
Mount Cranmore and NHEC Team Up for Energy Efficiency
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05/18/2006
Former Board Member Wins Aiken Award
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04/27/2006
NHEC Honored for Board Development
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04/27/2006
NHEC Board Member Achieves National Certification
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04/27/2006
Renewable Energy Group Gets Boost From NHEC Foundation
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04/03/2006
NHEC Foundation Completes First Round of Grants
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03/14/2006
NHEC to Launch WildBlue™ Satellite Internet Service
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03/06/2006
NHEC Foundation Makes Wish Come True
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02/28/2006
Candidates Nominated for BOD
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02/21/2006
Storm Recovery Complete
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12/16/2005
Winter Heating Assistance
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12/16/2005
Your Space Heating Solution
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