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Electric Department

Show All Answers

1. What is a power surge?

Most so-called power surges are really something called transient voltages. They can be caused by anything from lightning in the area to static electricity in your body. Some transient voltages can also be caused by solar flares. Such occurrences are well beyond the control of the electric department.

2. Do you have to set that pole or electrical box there?

Usually, yes. Alliance Electric staff does everything they can to avoid interfering with the looks or aesthetics of an area, but sometimes crews have to place electrical equipment in a place that isn’t pleasing to everyone.

3. Why do you have to trim my tree?

Trees in lines can cause costly outage. Alliance Electric has to trim trees to keep the power flowing. The Department closely adheres to its tree trimming policy.

4. What should I do if a tree is dead and in the electric lines?

If the tree is on private property, it's the homeowner's responsibility for removal. Alliance Electric will assist in making sure that your tree contractor can remove it safely.

5. Can you raise my wires?

Probably. Sometimes there are changes that need to be made to the way your service entrance is installed on your home or building. There is a possibility that you might have to contact an electrical contractor to alter your service entrance.

6. What if I build a new deck under electric lines?

Building a deck requires a permit from the Community Development Department. In many cases if wires are too low it is because the deck has been built without getting a permit and having the plans inspected by Community Development. Alliance Electric crews can usually move the service wires but it may be at some expense to the homeowner. If you have built a deck without a permit you should contact Community Development at (308) 762-5400.

7. When can you fix my street light?

Alliance Electric tries to repair street lights and dusk-to-dawn lights as quickly as possible. However, such repairs are sometimes delayed due to activities of a higher priority.

8. Can you turn off a street light shining in my window?

Alliance Electric can usually shield the light so it isn't so intrusive. Unless it is dusk-to-dawn light that you are paying for, Alliance Electric cannot remove it.

9. Can I switch from an overhead service to an underground service?

Yes, Alliance Electric converts many overhead services to underground. You will have to get an electrical contractor to bury a conduit run and modify your house service.

10. Can I get all the poles removed from my yard?

Probably not. Power lines that run through your yard are usually serving electricity to your neighbors. Occasionally, wires can be buried, but it is done at cost to the requester.

11. What is an outage?

An outage is a sudden loss of power due to forces or events outside of our system, such as storms, vehicle collisions, animal interference, etc.

12. How do I report an outage?

During regular business hours call (308) 762-5075. After regular business hours call APD dispatch at (308) 762-4955.

13. What are some common causes of power outages?

• Trees and limbs being blown into lines by high wind
• Trees and limbs falling on lines due to snow
• Lines being broken by ice buildup
• Poles being broken by high winds
• Poles being broken by vehicle accidents
• Wildlife coming in contact with energized lines
• Lightning
• Equipment failure

14. In what order does Alliance Electric Department restore power?

1. Substations
2. Main feeder lines
3. Other three phase lines
4. Single phase lines
5. Single phase transformers
6. Single customers

15. Can I use a portable generator during an outage?

Most portable generators are only powerful enough to run a few necessary appliances in your home. You should never plug your generator into an outlet in your home. If a generator is connected to an outlet in your home, the electricity can travel out onto the Electric Department's lines and through transformers creating a life-threatening situation for Alliance Electric employees trying to restore power.

16. Why do neighbors have power and mine is still off?

Your neighbor could be served off a different transformer or main line. For instance, your service could come from a line in the back of your house, and your neighbor across the street could be served from a line running along the street in front of your home. In the event that your power hasn't been restored but your neighbors has, please call (308) 762-1907 to report this.