RIPLEY, Ohio — This weekend, residents of Ripley will experience eight hours without electricity.
A planned power outage is scheduled in Ripley for Saturday, Sept. 8 in order to repair a substation supplying the entire village its power.
According to Village Administrator Pete Renshaw, the job will be conducted by Duke Energy, which owns the substation.
“It’s unavoidable and it needs to be done,” Renshaw said.
Renshaw said the village purchases its power wholesale through a contract with American Electric, although the power lines and substation in which the electricity is transferred in the area are owned by Duke Energy. The reparation itself will be completely covered by Duke Energy, Renshaw added.
The scheduled outage, according to Renshaw, is scheduled to begin at 11 p.m. on Sept. 8 and finish at around 7 a.m. on Sept. 9. Renshaw said officials from Duke Energy said the job could take at least six hours, but want to ensure the job is done properly.
“The outage will be during the overnight hours to keep from affecting businesses and homes,” Renshaw said.
Included in repairing the substation that night, a wooden power pole will also receive repairs.
Renshaw said all residents in Ripley will be affected by the outage, as there is only one substation for the entire village. Efforts to inform the public on the imminent power outage through social media, local news outlets and even fliers throughout the village have been employed.
Despite the apparent inconvenience, Renshaw said repairing the aging substation is far more preferable than to wait for the structure to fail, causing even further problems. With this method, Duke Energy officials can safely operate on the substation to prolong the life of the system.
