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RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Progress Energy
(NYSE: PGN) crews from Western North Carolina are headed to coastal areas
today to assist in restoring service from the expected effects of Tropical
Storm/Hurricane Hanna. The storm is expected to make landfall near the
N.C./S.C. border between 2 and 4 a.m. Saturday.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/CHM008LOGO-c )
Company line & service crews, as well as contract line and tree crews and
support personnel are expected to arrive in Wilmington and other coastal areas
today, so they can be deployed to assist other company crews once the storm
moves through Eastern North Carolina Saturday morning. Progress Energy has a
normal complement of about 300 company and contract line and tree personnel in
the region that extends from the coast to Interstate-95.
The company also will bring in crews from other Progress Energy locations,
as well as non-company crews from the region, as the situation warrants.
On its current forecast path, Hanna would be expected to cause damage and
power outages, primarily in Eastern North Carolina, but some impacts could
extend well inland, depending on the storm's ultimate course and intensity.
Progress Energy will maintain line and tree crews in all areas where the storm
could create power outages, including the Triangle, Sandhills and South
Carolina. Once those areas are clear, teams will be sent to eastern North
Carolina to support restoration there as needed.
Meanwhile, the company continues to monitor the movement of Hurricane Ike,
which remains a strong Category 4 storm. Forecasts vary considerably, and
there is a potential for impacts to the Southeastern United States next week.
Tropical Storm Josephine is also churning farther east in the Atlantic.
"We are making our final pre-storm preparations today, and we encourage
our customers to do the same," said Hershell McCarty, Progress Energy
Carolinas storm coordinator. "Whether Hanna makes landfall as a tropical storm
or hurricane might make a slight difference in the number of outages created,
but it doesn't factor into our level of commitment and response. Our goal is
to restore service as quickly and safely as possible, which is what our
customers expect."
The company's storm plan includes mobilizing employees to handle increased
customer calls, to quickly evaluate storm damage, to coordinate line crew and
equipment mobilization, to coordinate materials required for repairs, and to
arrange meals and lodging for out-of-town workers.
Progress Energy works to minimize storm impacts year-round through
preventive maintenance, including trimming of trees around the company's 6,000
miles of transmission lines and 60,000 miles of electric distribution lines.
Wind-blown trees and limbs are the leading cause of power outages during
storms.
Customers and media can find outage information on Progress Energy's Web
site 24 hours a day at www.progress-energy.com/outagemap . During major events
such as storms, the map will be updated several times a day.
The quickest way to report an outage during a storm is to call the
automated outage-reporting system at 1-800-419-6356. For the latest
information, visit Progress Energy's storm site online at
www.progress-energy.com/storm .
Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 energy
company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion
in annual revenues. The company will observe a century of operation in 2008.
Progress Energy includes two major utilities that serve 3.1 million customers
in the Carolinas and Florida. Progress Energy is the 2006 recipient of the
Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's highest honor, in
recognition of its operational excellence. The company also is the first
utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award
for customer service. Progress Energy serves two fast-growing areas of the
country, and the company is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future
energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy efficiency
programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art
electricity system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the
company's Web site at www.progress-energy.com .
SOURCE Progress Energy Carolinas
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