THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 20, 1996 TAG: 9605200050
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
An equipment failure combined with unusually high electrical demand forced Virginia Power to institute rotating blackouts in northern Virginia Beach Sunday night, affecting more than 30,000 customers.
A spokesman said the blackouts - each lasting about an hour - were likely to continue until early this morning, but he was uncertain exactly when repairs would be completed.
``Our folks are working to correct the problem,'' said Junius H. Williams Jr., a utility spokesman. ``We just don't have a feel for how long that may take.''
Williams said the problems began about 7 p.m. when one of two major transformers at the Greenwich Road substation failed. ``There was no fire or explosion, it just locked out,'' he said.
Normally, electrical demand in May - especially during weekends - is not high. But with temperatures more than 20 degrees above normal, many residents were running air conditioning full-tilt Sunday night. The utility could not handle the demand without risking more breakdowns.
``The one operating transformer can't handle the entire load'' that the two did together, Williams said. ``As a result, beginning about 8:40 p.m., we started interrupting service to customers.''
He said technicians also were trying to switch some blocks of customers to other circuits, but demand was high everywhere, making that difficult without risking additional overloads. by CNB