WILDWOOD – A squirrel that made contact with a transformer on a pole in Wildwood was cited as the reason for close to 30 Atlantic City Electric customers losing power Monday, Dec. 4.
Candace Womer, a spokesperson for Atlantic City Electric, confirmed there was an incident, Dec. 4, at the intersection of Spicer and Pacific avenues. She said approximately 28 customers were temporarily without power.
“Crews were dispatched to the scene at 9:20 a.m. and all customers were restored by 10:26 a.m.,” Womer said.
Responding to questions about the reliability of the current infrastructure and higher demands for electricity, Womer said as part of Atlantic City Electric’s recently completed Infrastructure Investment Program, it upgraded two transmission lines that connect the barrier islands to the mainland, creating a more redundant system and additional contingencies for the island.
“We are continuing to make upgrades to our electric system and investing to strengthen the local energy against extreme weather, while also installing new and more modern infrastructure and technology,” she said.
Womer said despite Atlantic City Electric’s proactive steps, outages can occur beyond its control, so the company is also focusing on ensuring it provides the fastest response possible to restore power if an interruption happens.
“In the event of an outage, the length (of time) is directly influenced by the issue that occurred,” she said.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
