Throwing Florida a line
Pascoag utility workers head south to help restore power
BURRILLVILLE — The Pascoag Utility District is among utilities from around the country that have sent linemen to Florida to hasten the re-powering of a state that’s lost electricity for millions of customers.
The two-man Pascoag crew – line foreman Chris Piccard and first-class lineman Doug Menard – drove down in a Pascoag Utility District bucket truck that was part of a convoy representing not-for-profit state and local community-owned electric utilities from Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Pascoag was the only utility from Rhode Island taking part in the convoy, which left a staging area on Route 95 on Sunday and arrived in Florida at around 4 o’clock Tuesday morning.
“Chris and Doug volunteered for this assignment when a mutual aid request went out to all public power utilities across the U.S. to help support our public power brethren in the Southeast,” said Pascoag Utility District General Manager Michael R. Kirkwood.
The Pascoag Utility District’s Electric Department is Rhode Island’s only not-for-profit public power utility serving approximately 5,000 customers
“Chris (Picard) and Doug (Menard) volunteered for this assignment when a mutual aid request went out to all public power utilities across the U.S. to help support our public power brethren in the Southeast.” —Pascoag Utility District General Manager Michael R. Kirkwood
in the villages of Harrisville and Pascoag. The district, incorporated by a special act of the Rhode Island General Assembly, is a quasimunicipal utility that provides electricity and water on a "not for profit" basis. Pascoag Electric is regulated by the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission.
The convey also represented public power utilities in Norwich, Connecticut, and Belmont, Braintree, Chicopee, Concord, Danvers, Georgetown, Groton, Groveland, Hingham, Holden, Holyoke, Ipswich, Littleton, Mansfield, Marblehead, Middleborough, Middleton, North Attleboro, Norwood, Princeton, Rowley, Sterling, Taunton, Wakefield and Wellesley in Massachusetts.
Piccard and Menard are working 16-hour days assisting the Orlando Utility Commission, a municipally-owned public utility that provides water and electric service to 246,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of Orange and Osceola counties.
On Monday morning, Orlando Utility Commission officials said more than 60 percent of their customers were without power.
Nearly 3.8 million people – including more than 630,000 customers in Central Florida – remained without power Wednesday more than two days after Irma blasted the state. That accounts for about 36 percent of the state, down from a peak of more than 60 percent.
Florida officials said some of the affected customers statewide could be without power for a week or more. They say it will be the largest restoration process in history.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said 30,000 workers have come in from out-of-state to help.
“We’ve gotten a lot of restorations so far,” Scott said. “Hopefully the number is going to come down.”
Menard and Piccard have sent back several photographs showing the devastation, including street after street of downed trees on power lines.
Pascoag is providing the restoration assistance as part of a mutual aid agreement between non-profit utilities to help cities and towns recover from storm damage whenever and wherever it occurs.
Menard and Piccard have committed to a two-week stay in Florida to help repair damage to the state's power infrastructure. After that, if the Orlando Utility Commission still needs the help, Pascoag will fly down two linemen to relieve Piccard and Menard.