Wisconsin utility crews are heading out to help restore power out east
By: Terry Kovarik
Updated: October 31, 2012
Wisconsin utility crews are heading out to help restore power out east
We Energies and WPS dispatch crews and equipment for weeks of restoration work
GREEN BAY (WFRV) 25 WE Energies utility crew members are the latest to be dispatched to restore electrical service to portions of Detroit stricken by winds from Hurricane Sandy. 50 of the company's contract workers are already on the east coast. While such efforts mean time away from home, crew members are glad to help.
"The local people are pretty devastated with the amount of destruction and damage that's been done to the area. So they're obviously very thankful when they see our out of town trucks roll up," said WE Energies crew member Jeff Michaud.
Especially, when a total of eight-point-two million homes were left in the dark. Now, more help is on it's way from Wisconsin. Integrys Energy is sending 25 WPS utility crew members and line and bucket trucks to help Connecticut Light and Power. They'll leave Thursday morning. And that's later than WPS originally planned to let them go.
"We were going to let crews go on Monday. Then we saw the wrath of Sandy coming to out area as well and showing 50 mile-an-hour winds on Door County and the Lakeshore," said Lisa Prunty, public relations manager for Integrys Energy Group.
Crews will be helping out anywhere from two weeks until around Thanksgiving. They're prepared for all conditions from rain to snow.
"We actually are prepared for the snow. We're taking our chains with us and our crews are used to working in the snow versus somebody from Texas or California," Prunty said.
Local 5's Terry Kovarik has the story.
