Repeated Power Outages Affecting the Norris Lake Area

 

To: Walton Electric Membership Corporation (Walton EMC)

Re: Recurring Electrical Service Interruptions in the Norris Lake Area, Snellville, Georgia

 

We, the undersigned residents and members of the Norris Lake community, are submitting this letter to formally express our concern regarding the frequency and reliability of electrical service in our area.

 

Residents have experienced repeated power outages and service interruptions, with some households reporting approximately three to five outages or interruptions per month. Regardless of the duration of each individual event, the recurring nature of these disruptions has become a significant concern for our community.

 

Reliable electrical service is essential to our homes and daily lives. Repeated outages can disrupt remote work, internet and communications, heating and cooling systems, refrigeration, home security systems, medical equipment, appliances, and other essential household systems. Frequent interruptions may also raise concerns about potential damage to sensitive electronics and equipment.

 

We understand that power outages are sometimes unavoidable due to severe weather, accidents, equipment failures, vegetation, wildlife, and other circumstances outside of Walton EMC's immediate control. Our concern is not that an electrical system should never experience an outage. Rather, it is the frequency and recurring nature of outages affecting this particular area.

 

We respectfully request that Walton EMC:

 

1. Conduct a formal reliability review of the electrical infrastructure serving the Norris Lake community and surrounding affected areas.

 

2. Review the outage history for the circuits and equipment serving this area, including the frequency, duration, and identified causes of service interruptions.

 

3. Determine whether recurring equipment, vegetation, capacity, infrastructure, or other reliability issues are contributing to these outages.

 

4. Provide residents with an explanation of the findings, including whether Walton EMC considers the frequency of outages in this area consistent with its reliability expectations.

 

5. Develop and communicate a corrective-action plan, where appropriate, identifying infrastructure improvements, maintenance, vegetation management, equipment replacement, system upgrades, or other measures that may improve reliability.

 

6. Provide an estimated timeline for any recommended corrective actions or improvements.

 

We appreciate the work performed by Walton EMC employees and line crews, particularly during severe weather and emergency situations. This request is not directed at the employees who restore service. Rather, we are asking Walton EMC leadership and its engineering and operations teams to investigate whether there is an underlying reliability problem affecting our community.

 

Our goal is straightforward: to understand why our area experiences such frequent interruptions and what can reasonably be done to improve the reliability of our electrical service.

 

We respectfully request a written response from Walton EMC addressing these concerns and outlining the results of its review.

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Residents and Walton EMC members of the Norris Lake community and surrounding affected areas

 

Community Signatures

 

By signing below, I affirm that I am a resident, property owner, or Walton EMC member affected by electrical service interruptions in or around the Norris Lake area and support this request for an investigation and response.