SerpApi.Org
Residents in Platteville say they have lost count of how many times their power has gone out this summer, as Xcel Energy acknowledges two outages in the area this month that each lasted about two hours.
"The inconsistency of the blackouts: there is no schedule [and] we are not warned ahead of time they are going to do this," said Curtis Mork, a Platteville resident.
Mork, who is self-employed and works from home selling Lego pieces and minifigures, said the outages have made his work more difficult, particularly during a recent heat wave. He said that on one afternoon, the temperature outside reached 104 degrees when the power went out. By the time it was restored, he said, the temperature inside his home had climbed to 82 degrees.
"You found me in my recliner with a fan going because we have battery-powered fans, and I was just lying there like, 'Ugh!'" Mork said.
He also said he has a rare neurological condition that causes muscle paralysis and seizures, which he said is worsened by heat.
Fellow Platteville resident McKenzie Struckmeyer described a similar experience.
"Like yesterday from 4 [to] 6 it was out, and when I got home, it didn't come on for another hour, and my house was like 80 degrees," Struckmeyer said.
Struckmeyer said outages have become frequent enough that some residents track how often they occur.
"I know people who keep tallies just because of how often it happens, and sometimes it lasts 30 minutes. Sometimes it can last up to five hours," Struckmeyer said.
Struckmeyer said last summer, outages occurred two to three times per month.
"I'm worried that it's going to either be the same or even worse this year," Struckmeyer said.
Mork said outages were not a regular occurrence until the last few years, and he worries about the impact on the community if the problem continues.
"My concern with Platteville is if this continues to happen, people are going to leave," he said.
In a statement, Xcel Energy said an outage on July 20 affected approximately 1,000 customers in the Platteville area and lasted about two hours. A separate outage on July 12 also lasted approximately two hours, according to the company. The energy company said its teams are reviewing both outages and customer concerns to determine whether additional equipment or operational adjustments are needed, and that it is upgrading and expanding the substation that serves Platteville to support future reliability and growth in the region.
Below is Xcel Energy's full statement:
"We understand power outages can be frustrating, particularly during summer, and we appreciate our customers' patience. On July 20, approximately 1,000 customers in the Platteville area experienced an outage that lasted about two hours. A separate outage occurred on July 12 and lasted approximately two hours. Our crews and system operators worked to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Currently, our teams are reviewing both outages and customer concerns to determine whether any additional equipment or operational adjustments may be needed. Xcel Energy is currently upgrading and expanding the substation that serves Platteville to help support future reliability and growth in the region. Our focus remains on providing safe and reliable service for our customers. We encourage customers who experience outages to report them through the Xcel Energy mobile app or at xcelenergy.com so we can respond as quickly as possible."
