wiredInUSA January 2018

Electricity supplies are now repaired following hurricane Maria. Photograph courtesy of NBC News

Restoring power after hurricane Maria

Whitefish Energy crews have completed repairs to the south-to-north 50900 transmission line on the island of Puerto Rico, enabling the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to deliver power to areas that have been without electricity since hurricane Maria hit the island on 20 th September. Line 50900 is a major artery of the Puerto Rico electrical grid, running from power generating stations in the southern part of the island, over the Central Range (La Cardillera Central) to the populated areas of the north, most notably greater San Juan. The line was heavily damaged by hurricaneMariaand requiredmajor repairs and reconstruction of both transmission lines and towers. Whitefish Energy’s team of linemen, pilots and engineers have

cleared rights-of-way, assessed damage, developed construction plans andairlifted crews and equipment to restore the line to northern Puerto Rico. “The completion of this work is a major milestone in the recovery efforts on Puerto Rico, and it represents a collaborative effort across Whitefish Energy and a number of our subcontractor partners, who have done some remarkable work under extreme and challenging conditions,” said Andy Techmanski, CEO of Whitefish Energy. “With our transmission work now complete, PREPA will take the final steps to verify switch and distribution capabilities so that electric power can be delivered to the residents and businesses in greater San Juan that have been without electricity for two months.”

wiredInUSA - January 2018

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