Reporting Blinks

What is a blink?

A blink is a momentary interruption of electric service, usually less than 30 seconds in length.  Often times you may experience multiple blinks in short succession.

Why does my power blink?

What’s happening when the lights go off and on and all digital clocks start to flash?  A momentary power interruption has occurred. The electronic equipment in today’s homes makes these brief interruptions hard to overlook.  This blinking is actually a safety feature that protects Pioneer’s electric lines from short circuits, or faults, while keeping the power flowing reliably to our members.

Unfortunately these types of outages exist and are, in fact, indicating our electric system is operating properly.  Our system’s designed to sense an unstable condition on a power line –– a tree, animal or weather.  At critical points in the system, intelligent circuit breakers – called reclosers – automatically restore power after detecting faults on the lines. The recloser gives the short three chances to clear on its own, each time breaking the circuit for a longer period. If the short still exists, the recloser will stay open –– and power will not flow until Pioneer crews can fix the problem and reset the service.

Although these blinks can be a nuisance, they are preferable to having the power go out completely, which would be the case with every short if Pioneer did not use reclosers.

We’re committed to minimizing blinks and extended power outages, improving overall service, and protecting the public.  Please contact us if your home or business experiences an excessive number of blinks or other power problems, so we can better serve you.