When an outage occurs, crews work to find the problem. They start with transmission lines, which supply power to thousands of members. Although they rarely fail, when damage does occur those repairs must be made before other parts of the system can operate.
Next, crews check substation. These fenced in areas, which your probably notice on the side of roads when you travel, contain equipment that helps us serve hundreds or thousands of members.
If the problem isn't located in a substation, distribution lines are checked. These lines take power from the substation to large numbers of members in neighborhoods and communities.
If there are still local outages, supply lines (also called tap lines) are checked. These lines deliver power to transformers, which are either mounted on poles or placed in green boxes for underground service, outside business, homes and schools.
If your home remains without power after all these areas are checked, the service line between a transformer and your home may need to be repaired.