Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

The idea of power protection takes on new meaning this time of year. As storms seek vengeance in the Midwest, more than a few homes lose power and try to find other ways to stay warm in all electric homes. Generators can help relieve the pain points for the short term, but the ideal is to never lose power in the first place.

On more than one occasion, I’ve logged our power outage with the local utility, wondering how they were still sitting in full power supply while we waited for a fix. It seems the consumers in Eugene, Oregon don’t have to wonder about this as around Eugene and Springfield; they weren’t the only ones to lose power.

According to this KVAL report, a number of power outages were caused by rain and high winds. The winds were so intense in the area that at least 27 traffic lights were affected and even the local electric company lost power. EWEB headquarters experienced the same power outage as surrounding citizens. The utility did rely on its backup generator to keep the power on so daily functions could continue.

For those who are affected by power outages, power protection is one of the primary tools to have on hand to ensure continuity. Battery backup is important, as well as uninterruptable power supply so you can save your data before the lights go out. The kind of protection is essential for business continuity, especially in the winter months when weather can be unpredictable.  

For EWEB customers, power was restored within an hour, but that doesn’t mean it’s the last time an outage will occur. Rain and strong winds are not conducive to ensure proper and continuous access to power sources. Fortunately, the utility can make the investment in trimming trees to keep transmission lines clear and reduce the number of outages.

"Pretty much 350 days a year, trimming trees that are next to our distribution lines and our transmission lines," an EWEB representative said in a KVAL interview. "It costs a little more money but what we've found is if we keep our distribution lines and our transmission lines clear of trees and branches, when the wind does blow, we tend to have less outages."

Still, even with this effort, outages will occur. It’s best for those with the potential to be affected to make the necessary investments in uninterruptable power supply solutions from a provider like Minuteman. The company ensures you have the power protection you need to stay online, preserve your data and maintain processes. Even in the midst of threatening weather, there’s work to be done.