On June 15, Hardwick Electric Department experienced a failure of a voltage regulator at our Hardwick Substation. This equipment malfunction caused voltage fluctuations on our system that had the potential to damage electrical equipment in homes and businesses. To prevent property damage and make the necessary repairs, HED made the difficult decision to conduct an emergency outage. Our line crew worked diligently throughout the event to diagnose the issue, complete the necessary repairs, and restore service as safely and quickly as possible.
We understand this outage caused inconvenience for many customers, particularly those returning home from work and businesses preparing for evening operations. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
We have heard your concerns and recognize the importance of timely communication during both planned and emergency outages. Over the coming month, HED will introduce a new outage notification system that customers may choose to subscribe to, allowing us to receive outage alerts and updates more quickly in the future.
This was an unexpected equipment failure. Over the coming weeks, HED will conduct a thorough review of this event, perform additional testing of related substation equipment, and evaluate opportunities to further strengthen system reliability. While no utility can prevent every equipment failure, we are committed to learning from this event and taking reasonable steps to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences in the future.
If you believe this event affected electrical equipment in your home or business, please contact Hardwick Electric Department at customerservice@hardwickelectric.com so we can review the circumstances and determine appropriate next steps.
Thank you for your patience as we work to maintain safe and reliable electric service.
