Power Substation Fire Damage Was Extensive; Repairs To Take Weeks

April 6, 2016

Fire damage to a power substation that serves the Jay area was extensive, Escambia River Electric Cooperative said Tuesday.

A regulator and circuit breakers failed Sunday morning, creating an arc which spread to other equipment causing the fire and power outage for about 2,500 customers. So far, technicians have not been able to determine which piece of equipment failed first and caused the chain reaction.

“The equipment was damaged to the point that it may be impossible to tell which piece of equipment failed first,” Sabrina Owens, marketing manager for EREC said Tuesday.

So far, there is no dollar figure estimate on the amount of damage to the substation owned by PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, which is EREC’s generation and transmission facility. PowerSouth brought in a mobile substation which they installed Sunday along with EREC line crews, restoring power by 5:45 p.m. Sunday. the mobile unit will remain in place until the permanent substation has been repaired, which may take up to six weeks because of the extensive damage.

“Our members will incur no extra cost because of this event.  Response to events such as this is part of the business of power delivery to our system,” Owens said.  “The mobile substation is fully capable of providing the same reliable electric service to our members as the permanent Jay substation.”

Pictured top: This mobile substation is now providing power to about 2,500 EREC customers in the Jay area following a Sunday morning substation fire, pictured below. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Below: Another photo of the mobile substation:


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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News