How We Restore Power

1. Critical community services restored first
Cleco has a detailed plan for restoring electric service following a power outage. The plan calls for restoration of critical community services (hospitals, nursing homes, police, fire, etc.) first, and then restoring power to the greatest number of customers in the shortest possible time. All this is done while ensuring public safety and the safety of power line crews.

Outages occur for many reasons, but are most frequently caused by weather events. High winds, lightning strikes and ice can knock down power lines and cause power outages which may be widespread or localized. Once these outages are reported or detected, Cleco takes specific steps to return service to customers.

2. Power line repair begins process
Restoration begins after Cleco determines where lines are down. Those determinations are made by monitoring systems and gathering information from across Cleco service areas. To ensure safety and prevent injuries and fires, crews must first make sure power is no longer flowing through downed lines. Those who may see a downed line should remember to always assume it is a ‘live wire,' stay away from it and call Cleco or 911 to report this dangerous situation.

After downed power lines are repaired, restoration proceeds based on established priorities. First transmission lines to distribution substations must be repaired, as they are the most important lines carrying power from generating plants to large numbers of customers over wide areas. When those repairs are complete, Cleco can begin restoring power to critical community services.

3. Systematic customer service restoration
Next, service is restored to the largest number of people as soon as possible. Service to neighborhoods, industries, and businesses is systematically restored, followed by single residences and small groups of customers. This plan is followed until restoration to all customers is complete.

4. Different neighbors, different circuits
Sometimes customers may see lights come back on across the street or nearby, but they remain without power. One reason is that some customers may have generators that provide an alternate source of power for their homes. Another reason may be that different parts of a neighborhood are on different circuits, and not all circuits are restored at once. The restored customer's service may also come directly off a primary line, which is repaired first, while the customer without power is served off a secondary line.

If a customer notices that his neighbors' power has been restored and he remains without power, that customer should notify Cleco at 1-800-622-6537. Cleco can then determine how to resolve the situation. In some instances, the customer who remains without power might have damage that can only be repaired by a licensed electrician before the home can be re-connected to Cleco's system.

Click here to print a copy of Cleco's storm restoration plan.