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THE VICTORY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSN., INC.

Your local electric cooperative. Serving you since 1945.

 

 

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Dodge City, KS, USA
1-800-279-7915
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  • If you are experiencing a power outage, please call our office at 620-227-2139 or 800-279-7915. Thank you! 
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  1. Power 101
  2. Outage Preparedness
  3. How Power is Restored

How Power is Restored

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Steps to Restoration

Powering Up

What You Need to Know About Power Restoration

What you need to know about power Restoration

Keeping the power flowing
We often take electricity for granted. It makes our homes comfortable day-in and day-out, and it’s at the ready with little more than the flip of a switch. But cooperative lineworkers are always out there maintaining an intricate system of power lines around the clock.

But what goes on behind the scenes once that switch is thrown is far more complex. The power grid, which can be described as the largest, most complex machine ever built, involves an intricate network of power lines crisscrossing neighborhoods and open country, over mountains and through cities, which has evolved over the last century to supply consumers with safe, reliable, and affordable electricity.

The tricky thing about electricity is that it must be used, or moved to where it can be used, the second it’s produced; it generally can’t be stored like water or gas. What’s more, electricity moves at the speed of light along the path of least resistance. This basic principle calls for a carefully monitored, intricate system to move it 24 hours a day.

Literally millions of miles of power lines span the United States in a complex series of “highways.” These lines can be broken into two main categories: transmission, the high-voltage “interstates” supported by steel towers and other similar structures that move electricity over vast distances; and distribution, the “local roads” that run through small towns and neighborhoods and into homes and businesses. Electric cooperatives power 56% of the nations landmass, own and maintain roughly 2.6 million miles, or 42 percent, of the nation’s distributions lines, and serve 42 million people across 88% of U.S. counties. Cooperatives also generate 5% of total U.S. electricity and sell 13% of all U.S. electricity, according to the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). This cooperative-maintained system could cover the distance to the moon and back several times over.

Victory Electric alone has its own sizeable distribution system to maintain: our lineworkers stay busy keeping more than 3,170 miles of line up and running, 24/7.

When there’s a problem somewhere on our system, a power outage typically results. Pinpointing the cause of an outage among those thousands of miles of line may seem like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but Victory Electrics line crews try largely boil it down to a science.

To understand how cooperative staff restore power during an outage, think of electricity distribution like a river in reverse. It originates at a single ocean of power—a generation plant—and diverges from there into a series of transmission lines, substations, and smaller feeder lines until it reaches homes and businesses at a trickle of its original strength. So when we start assessing storm damage, we work to fix the biggest problems first (those starting near the “ocean”), prioritizing repairs according to how they can get the most homes back in service the fastest. 

It’s a big job, but our line crews are up to the challenge. If there is an outage in your area, you can help crews pinpoint damage by calling us at 800-279-7915. Even if your neighbors have already called, every bit of information we have helps get the river flowing smoothly again.

Value of Electricity

Path to Restoring Power

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©2021 Victory Electric Cooperative. All Rights Reserved. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

  • Home
  • About
    • Your Cooperative
      • Office Information
      • Victory Today and Yesterday
      • 75th Anniversary
      • What is an Electric Cooperative?
      • Annual Meeting
      • What are Capital Credits?
      • Seven Cooperative Principles
    • Board of Trustees
    • Management Team
    • Cooperative Career Opportunities
  • Account Services
    • Payment Choices
      • Pay Online with SmartHub
      • PowerMyWay
      • AutoPay
      • Payment Arrangements and Assistance
      • Billing Procedures and Due Dates
      • Invoice Payments
      • Security Deposits & Fees
      • Your Electric Bill Explained
      • Protect Yourself Against Payment Scams
    • Service Requests
      • Open an Account and Connect Service
      • Transferring Service
      • Disconnecting Service
    • Governance/policies & procedures
      • Rules and Regulations, Bylaws and Rates
      • Cold Weather Rule
      • Medical Necessity
  • Communications
    • Publications
      • Kansas Country Living Magazine and ElectroNews Newsletter
      • Latest news
    • Document Library
    • Video Library
    • Member Satisfaction Surveys
    • Legislative Awareness and Grassroots Efforts
  • My Community
    • Programs
      • CoBank Sharing Success Grant
      • Community, School & Electrical Safety Presentations
      • Co-ops Love Local
    • Events
      • Pumpkin Painting & Carving Festival
      • Co-ops Care Golf Tournament
      • Christmas Parade of Lights
    • Youth Programs
      • Scholarship Opportunities
      • Youth Tour & Leadership Camp
    • Our Community Partners
  • Power 101
    • Outage Preparedness
      • Preparing for a Power Outage
      • My Power is Out. Now What?
      • How Power is Restored
      • Power Supply and Getting It to You
      • Winter Storm Preparedness and Safety
    • Safety Resources
      • Electrical Safety
      • What to do in an Emergency
      • Oversize Loads
      • Dig Safe and KS One Call
      • Trees and Power Lines
      • Generator Safety
      • Surge Protection
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Report a street light problem
    • Energy Efficiency
      • Energy Saving Tips
      • Choosing the Right Lightbulbs
    • Advanced Metering