Worcester-based meteorologist and WEC member Roger Hill will present at the Co-op’s winter outage-themed Annual Meeting on May 2. Hill’s site-specific forecasts help Vermont utilities, including WEC, prepare their responses to major storms. Many other Vermonters know Hill from his weather forecasts on WDEV Radio Vermont and daily updates through his weather blog, Weathering Heights. Hill will discuss weather and …
Safety Minute: Preventing House Fires 2—Cord and Appliance Safety
Electrical safety tips from Safety and Environmental Compliance Specialist David Young In the last Safety Minute, we discussed preventing home electrical outlets from becoming heat sources. In this issue, we’re focusing not on the wiring in your walls, but on what you plug into outlets. I have family members who experienced a house fire because of a dehumidifier plugged into …
WEC’s 2023 Report Card By The Numbers
Service Quality and Reliability Plan Results SQRP 2023 By Louis Porter Washington Electric Cooperative annually reports to state regulators how well it provided service to its members over the last year. The Service Quality and Reliability Plan or SQRP report consists of 12 categories designed to take a snapshot of where we are doing well and where we need to …
2023 System Reliability Index
Perhaps the biggest news about outages from 2023 is that WEC began changing how it manages them. Last year, WEC made changes to its software so members can access more information in real time. Members experiencing outages now receive estimates for when power will be restored. The Outage Map on wec.coop shows whether outages are localized or widespread, when the …
Rising Revenue, Net Margins–And Storm Expenses (Treasurer’s Report)
Treasurer’s Report By Don Douglas In 2023 Washington Electric recognized a large increase in revenue in retail sales. In 2022 it was $17,384,203 and in 2023 the figure increased to $20,246,823. This represents an increase of $2,862,620. This large increase is due to the rate increase of 12.83% and because our regulators asked us to shift the net generation credits …
A Good Enough Way To Proceed (President’s Report)
Shoring up access to renewable generation, including Hydro-Québec, as Vermont demand for renewable power grows President’s Report By Stephen Knowlton Washington Electric Cooperative is now in its 85th year, and it is a good time to reflect on how we got started as a cooperative. As we are already close to being a quarter of the way through the 21st …
Practical and Honest: WEC’s Pledge For Addressing Outages (GM Report)
WEC General Manager’s Report By Louis Porter With increasingly severe storms causing more damage to electrical infrastructure across Vermont, I hope to have a conversation with WEC members at our Annual Meeting about winter outages, and how we as members respond to them, both individually and collectively through our Cooperative. Outages, particularly those in the winter, are understandably one of …
RESTORED – Outages – 4-4-2024/4-6-2024
April 6, 2024 – 1:20 pm Crews have successfully restored the final outages in WEC territory! There remain places we need to finish repairs and make permanent fixes, as there typically after after a major storm. This storm was somewhat frustrating in that new outages continued to occur nearly throughout the duration of the restoration effort. Statewide around 1,500 remain …
RESTORED – Outages 3-10-2024/3-11-2024
March 11, 2024 – 8:30 pm Line workers successfully completed restoration of power across WEC territory this evening! Thank you for your patience and your understanding as we worked to repair the damage to our system. Remember: If you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still be energized. Please report any downed wires or trees by …
RESTORED – Outages 2-29-2024
Thursday, February 29, 2024 – 8 pm Crews restored the final outages on the WEC system this evening. Statewide, more than 1,200 remain out of service tonight. Remember: Do not approach downed lines or trees on lines, as they may still be energized.If you see a tree on power lines or lines down, please report it to us: local 802-223-5245 or toll-free 1-800-932-5245 Thursday, …
Safety Minute: Preventing House Fires 1 – Outlet Safety
Electrical safety tips from Safety and Environmental Compliance Specialist David Young House fires used to be a lot more common than they are today. There are three things a fire needs: fuel, air, and a heat source. Oil lamps and candles were the heat sources that caused most house fires, so buildings in WEC’s service area became much safer in …