Mattoon, IL, USA / MyRadioLink.com
Apr 12, 2021 6:20 PM
Friday, April 9, 2021 more than 1,200 customers near campustown in Champaign/Urbana lost post around 7:30 p.m. The three-hour long outage was caused by Mylar birthday balloons becoming entangled in power lines. The balloons were safely removed and power was restored around 10:30 p.m. Photo submitted by Ameren
For Immediate Release – April 10, 2021
Ameren Illinois Reminding Customers to Keep Mylar Balloons Away From Power Lines
COLLINSVILLE (APRIL 10, 2021) – With warmer weather upon us and outdoor party season underway, Ameren Illinois is asking customers to properly dispose of Mylar balloons in an effort to reduce the potential for power outages.
Ameren cautions Mylar balloon use
The Telegraph
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Mylar balloons are metallic and conduct electricity, resulting in surges and shorts that have the ability to knock out power, start fires and cause significant damage to the electric grid.
COLLINSVILLE Ameren Illinois asking customers to properly dispose of Mylar balloons in an effort to reduce the potential for power outages.
On April 9, more than 1,200 customers in Champaign/Urbana lost post for about three hours when Mylar birthday balloons became entangled in power lines. The balloons were safely removed and power was restored around 10:30 p.m.
Mylar balloons are metallic and conduct electricity, resulting in surges and shorts that have the ability to knock out power, start fires and cause significant damage to the electric grid.
/ MyRadioLink.com
For Immediate Release
Ameren Illinois Activates Emergency Operations Center as Precautionary Measure
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (JANUARY 25, 2021) – Ameren Illinois activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Monday morning in preparation for a winter storm which is forecast to dump snow and ice across central Illinois. The EOC is staffed around-the-clock to coordinate service restoration, crew mobilization, and communication.
David Wakeman, senior vice president of Operations and Technical Services for Ameren Illinois, said while snow poses driving challenges for crews during a winter storm, ice and wind are the more frequent causes of winter power outages.
“Ice storms are particularly challenging from a power restoration perspective,” Wakeman said. “Significant ice build-up combined with below freezing temperatures and strong winds can wreak havoc on our power lines, transformers and other equipment. Ice accretion of more than a q