New technology and upgrades have been implemented, ensuring that if an outage happens, customers on that distribution line will not lose power for more than a minimal amount of time. Rio Grande Electric has turned its sights to controlling power outages.  

RGEC depends on the transmission of power from wholesale distributors. When these wholesale providers have an interruption in power, it creates a power outage for the Co-op members. This is the number one reason for power outages.

Weather is the number two reason for outages and one over which we have no control. Over the years, the Co-op has learned that other contributing factors to power outages are birds and other critters climbing the poles, going on top of the transformers, and touching an un-insulated conductor coming from the primary distribution line to the transformer. When this happens, the animal will either blow a fuse or trip a breaker, which turns off the power on that particular line. 

There are various other causes of outages, but there is never a good time of day to loose power.

RGEC hopes through investments in equipment, and technology, we will be able to continue serving the members to the best of our ability.