Think of the power grid like a puzzle — each piece has to fit just right to get your lights back on.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Power companies have linemen on standby for winter weather in North Carolina. They have a strategy in place to get power restored to the most people as quickly as possible.
Think of the power grid like a puzzle — each piece has to fit just right to get your lights back on.Â
Here’s a breakdown of how power companies prioritize restoring electricity, according to Duke Energy:
- Big transmission lines: These are the highest priority. They carry electricity from power plants to your town and serve thousands of people at once.
- Primary lines: These lines bring power to busy parts of town where many people live and work. Hospitals and fire stations get priority in this category.
- Smaller tap lines: These are the lines you often see overhead in your neighborhood. They keep your lights on.
If you’re in the dark while your neighbor has power, that’s totally normal. Houses right next to each other can be on different service lines.Â
Make sure to report your outage and be patient as power crews work to fix your piece of that complicated power grid puzzle.
