Many residents in the area suddenly found themselves in the dark as the result of a failure in Nebraska Public Power District’s Belden substation.
Outages occurred in an area north and west of Wayne beginning at approximately 9 p.m.
According to information from Northeast Power, "Northeast customers in Osmond, McClean, Winside, Concord, Dixon, Allen and Carroll were affected. In addition, the outage affected a broader area of northeast Nebraska and Nebraska Public Power District customers were also affected. Power was restored to customers as of 2:45 a.m."
Crews from Northeast Power in Wayne worked to help switch around energy loads to other substations to restore power to Northeast customers.
Due to some substations taking on more load than normal, Northeast Power is asking for their customer's help in coming days to keep the power on and conserve energy throughout the day.
Northeast Power also said, "Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending that customers conserve energy for the next few days to keep the power on."
Tips to Conserve Energy:
• Operate the thermostat as efficiently as possible. The smaller the difference between your thermostat and the outdoor air temperature, the greater engery and utility bill savings.
• Avoid unnecessary trips out the door in the heat of the day.
•Use curtains and blinds to keep the sun out on hot days.
•Make sure ceiling fans are moving in counter-clockwise direction, which forces the air down and creates a cooling effect.
•Use your oven and clothes dryer during the cooler parts of the day.
