In recent years, the Midwest has faced a series of devastating storms that have severely impacted our communities. The straight-line winds, rain, and snowstorms of 2022 repeatedly battered Crow Wing Power’s service area, and recent tornadoes this June caused significant power outages and infrastructure damage.
At Crow Wing Power, we rely heavily on mutual aid from sister cooperatives, municipalities, and contracted companies during these crises. Mutual aid is a critical strategy during weather-related disasters, ensuring we can swiftly and effectively respond to emergencies.
Crow Wing Power, along with other cooperatives across the state, participates in mutual aid agreements. These agreements guarantee that when disaster strikes, we can call on neighboring cooperatives and municipalities for help. Although there are costs involved, as we pay for the assistance we receive, we also provide aid when needed. These costs can be offset by state dollars when the damage exceeds county thresholds, as was the case during the storms of 2022 and potentially the most recent June storm.
When severe weather is predicted, line superintendents across the state stay in close communication to assess crew availability. During major outages, we coordinate with nearby cooperatives like Todd-Wadena and Itasca-Mantrap. The similarities in systems, equipment, and safety training across cooperatives streamline collaboration. We also have an agreement with the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association, which allows us to call on Brainerd Public Utilities, conveniently located in Brainerd. Besides other cooperatives and municipalities, we also work with contracted crews who are often more readily available and provide a much-needed helping hand.
Mutual aid essentially doubles our workforce, allowing for faster power restoration and reduced fatigue for lineworkers. Our line superintendents play a crucial role in planning, estimating outages, and determining needs. We utilize our power quality and staking engineers to lead mutual aid crews.
Once power is restored, additional crews are sent home, and our crews continue to repair infrastructure and clean up affected areas. By leveraging mutual aid, it ensures that our members receive the swift and efficient service they need during times of crisis. Crow Wing Power is committed to restoring normalcy as quickly and safely as possible.
Sincerely,
Eric Quale
Interim Chief Executive Officer