Tripling Field Forces, GMP Crews and External Crews Here and Ready to Serve Customers
Colchester, Vt. – GMP is tracking multiple forecasts to prepare for possible very high winds gusting up to 65 MPH across Vermont starting Thursday night and lasting through the day on Friday. Winds of that speed are very dangerous and can tear down trees and lines, causing outages. This is a very large regional storm that has all of the Midwest and Northeast expecting weather that could cause disruptions. To assist our customers and to support internal GMP lineworkers, GMP has kept external crews in the state that were here helping to restore power during the Nor’easter last week that brought damaging heavy wet snow and outages to Vermont.
“We had tripled our field force before that storm. And we are keeping folks here to serve our customers in preparation for the severe weather currently forecasted for late tomorrow night. Altogether, over 400 lineworkers, along with hundreds more GMP field operations workers are available as needed,” said Mike Burke, VP of Field Operations for GMP.
Forecasters say the massive regionwide weather system heading east will bring the potential for strong winds and rain starting Thursday night, followed by plunging temperatures Friday night causing a flash freeze and potential for flooding. This storm will arrive on the heels of a Nor’easter last week that dumped heavy wet snow over a 36-hour period, tearing down trees and power lines. In terms of outages, that was the third worst storm for GMP in generations, with that cement-like snow doing significant damage across a large portion of the state. GMP crews restored power to more than 119,000 customers during the storm.
“Customers should stay alert to the forecast and to the changing weather conditions over the next few days and be safe, and prepare in advance for expected outages,” said Burke. “We are prepared for the forecast.”
With cold temperatures forecasted, customers should have a plan for where to go if they need to leave their home, and how they would get there. With extreme high winds, there can also be hazards like flying debris, that make it unsafe for anyone outside, including crews.
To prepare for storms any time of year, GMP recommends customers have some basics on hand including:
- a charged cellphone
- the GMP app on your cellphone
- flashlights with fresh batteries
- bottled water
More storm preparation tips are available on GMP’s website. The GMP app is a great way to report outages, track power restoration times, as well as manage your GMP account from your cellphone. For medical emergencies, always call 911. You can also report outages by calling GMP at 888-835-4672, and through GMP’s online Outage Center.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 270,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with them to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective, and reliable power in Vermont. GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. GMP earned a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World list four years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020). In 2021, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) honored GMP as a nationwide leader in energy transformation, and in 2019 GMP earned the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year Award from the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine.
Kristin Carlson, Green Mountain Power
(802) 229-8200
[email protected]
We had tripled our field force before that storm. And we are keeping folks here to serve our customers in preparation for the severe weather currently forecasted for late tomorrow night. Altogether, over 400 lineworkers, along with hundreds more GMP field operations workers are available as needed.
Mike Burke, VP of Field Operations for GMP