We understand that being without power is an inconvenience, and we prioritize the safety of our employees and the future reliability of our service to members. Planned outages may occur occasionally, and we are committed to preparing for and communicating these events effectively. In some cases, planned outages may be immediate due to various circumstances. We encourage our members to report power outages promptly, enabling our outage management system.

Planned Outages

At times, the equipment responsible for delivering power to your homes may require maintenance, replacement, or upgrades. In other instances deenergizing of lines are required when other utilities, road construction, or projects are carried out in certain areas. When these situations arise, and the risks associated with working on live power lines are deemed too high, we schedule planned outages to ensure the safety of our crews while they carry out the necessary work.

These planned outages serve several crucial purposes. Firstly, they enable us to prevent longer, more disruptive unplanned outages and mitigate the risk of catastrophic equipment failure. Additionally, conducting repairs and upgrades is vital for maintaining the smooth operation of our system, enhancing reliability, and safeguarding the public.

When we need to implement a planned service interruption, we make every effort to minimize inconvenience by scheduling these outages at times when they will impact you the least. Moreover, we strive to keep the duration of the outage as short as possible and communicate with those who will be affected well in advance whenever feasible.

Blinks

Blinking lights are often the result of momentary outages, typically caused by disturbances on the power line that are beyond our control. These disturbances can stem from various factors, such as tree branches, animals, or abnormal system conditions. When a problem is detected, devices like oil circuit reclosers (OCR) play a crucial role in safeguarding the system. OCRs momentarily interrupt the flow of power to address the issue. If the disturbance persists, the OCR will operate multiple times to isolate the problem area, allowing our crews to swiftly address and restore power.

While ''blinks'' may be a temporary inconvenience, they actually serve as indicators that our system is functioning properly.

Crow Wing Power makes every effort to provide ample notice to members who may be affected by a planned outage whenever possible. By ensuring your account is up to date with your current phone number or by having a valid mobile number on file, you should receive an automated phone call or text message when an outage is planned.

 

Planned Outage Notification

Members that have a valid mobile number in our system will receive a text or call for any planned outage. 

Text Message Example:

Crow Wing Power Planned Outage
1234 Street RD
Start: 10:00 am
End: 12:00 pm
We apologize for any inconvenience
800-648-9401

Members that do not have a valid mobile number in our system will continue to receive an automated phone call with the phone number on the electric account.