For immediate release:
10:00 AM – Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Wind is causing widespread power outages to San Isabel Electric members. Nearly half of the members served by San Isabel Electric are without power. All members should expect intermittent outages as the storm moves through our area Wednesday, December 15.
We have several reports of damaged equipment. Crews are being dispatched to outages, and to repair equipment as they are reported. We expect the number of damage reports and outages to continue to increase until weather conditions improve. Members should expect intermittent outages as the storm moves through our area.
Approximately 9,150 meters are out as of 10:00 a.m. including the cities of Walsenburg and Trinidad. Here is a break down of number of meters out per county:
- Custer – 300
- Costilla – 150
- Fremont – 0
- Huerfano – 3,500
- Las Animas – 5,000
- Otero – 50
- Pueblo – 150
Due to the extreme dangerous nature of the wind, it may take longer than usual to safely restore power. We will not be able to provide an estimated time of restoration until conditions improve and lineworkers have inspected the affected areas to ensure all damage has been identified.
The outages began around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, when a severe windstorm moved into our service area. The national weather service is forecasting high winds through this afternoon.
Outage status updates will be posted every two hours at siea.com between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Members can report outages by texting OUT to 844-959-3013. San Isabel Electric’s mobile and online account management app SmartHub can be used to:
- Report power outages with a computer, tablet or smart phone.
- View our outage map.
- Track an outage’s status until power is restored.
Outages can also be reported by calling 1-800-279-7432. More information about outage reporting and preparedness is available at siea.com/safety.
San Isabel Electric’s outage restoration policy is to make repairs that will restore service to the most people in the least amount of time. Transmission lines and substations are repaired first, followed by distribution lines that feed neighborhoods. Tap lines and individual service lines are then repaired to restore power to members who may still be without electricity.
In the event of a prolonged outage, members who are expected to be without power overnight will receive an automated phone call from San Isabel Electric, as soon as possible.
A press release will also be issued when power is restored, or when the outage is affecting less than 2,000 meters. The release will be posted at siea.com/news and on the co-op’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
San Isabel Electric is a cooperative utility, owned by a group of member-owners, that together provide electricity in remote, rural areas where larger, investor-owned utilities don’t find it profitable enough to serve.
A large portion of the electric cooperative’s lines and equipment are in remote-rural areas and/or are in rugged-terrain, not accessible by roads or vehicles. These areas are difficult to access during good weather and even more difficult to access during inclement weather. Lineworkers often face arduous weather and road conditions making their job very difficult and dangerous.
From our office staff to those out in the field, we appreciate your patience as we work to restore power as quickly as safely possible for everyone involved.
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As a not-for-profit cooperative utility, San Isabel Electric provides affordable, reliable electricity with exceptional service to communities throughout southern Colorado. Serving 20,000 Member-owners and 24,000 meters, San Isabel Electric has been keeping the lights on since 1938. We don’t just serve communities. We are part of communities.
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