ELECTRICITY

Appalachian Power crews are working to restore power to 36,800 customers who remain without electric service following Thursday’s storm.

The new lights offer lower maintenance and substantially lower electricity costs.

Appalachian Power said that the route is for electrical upgrades and its purpose is to support economic development and increase reliability in the area.

Intense thunderstorms that rolled through Appalachian Power’s three-state service area late Friday afternoon left a little more than 130,000 customers without power.

GRETNA, Va. – The storm clouds are long gone from Southside Virginia, but crews are still cleaning up the damage the freezing rain left behind. Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative estimates up to two-thirds of its customers in Halifax and Pittsylvania County were without power at some point after this past weekend’s ice storm. “I’ve been here for more than 30 years, but we’ve seen more damage from this storm than most of us here can remember,” said Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative’s David Lipscomb. AdLipscomb said the ice made it especially challenging to repair power lines, and he’s grateful Thursday’s ice storm did not cause more complications. “Thursday’s storm had the potential to make us have to start all over again.”Lipscomb believes Mecklenburg Electric will have all of its customers reconnected by the end of the weekend.