Rapid Power Restoration in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated upstate North Carolina and their mountain regions, leaving widespread destruction and communities in crisis. The storm’s intensity overwhelmed electrical infrastructure, causing massive outages that left thousands without power.

As the hurricane approached, Think Power Solutions worked closely with Duke Energy’s management team, strategizing on how to deploy teams effectively. We divided our resources to:

• Support the onboarding of outside electrical line crews to increase restoration capacity.
• Lead contractor oversight, damage assessment, and crew coordination to ensure efficient recovery efforts.
• Prioritize critical power restoration areas while ensuring the safety of our team and contractors.

The scale of the destruction required rapid mobilization and seamless coordination between Duke Energy, outside contractors, and emergency response teams.

With our teams strategically positioned across four Duke Energy territories, Think Power Solutions was positioned to respond immediately after the storm passed. Our proactive approach included:

• Swift Damage Assessment: Quickly identified and prioritized high-impact restoration areas to restore power as efficiently as possible.
• Turnkey Field Management & Crew Deployment: Maintained real-time communication with Duke Energy, ensuring optimal deployment of personnel and resources.
• Expert Leadership: Our Senior Construction Managers provided hands-on leadership, guiding line crews and overcoming logistical challenges.
• Logistics Management: Took on additional responsibilities, from securing basic needs (food, shelter, and rest for workers) to managing accountability for onboarded crews.

Despite the unprecedented destruction, Think Power Solutions played a pivotal role in Duke Energy’s restoration efforts, working tirelessly to restore power and stabilize affected communities.

• Rapid Crew Mobilization: Pre-positioned teams allowed us to mobilize without delay, ensuring faster recovery.
• Swift Power Restoration – 5,500+ Hours Dedicated: Our team worked around the clock, deploying immediate restoration efforts to bring power back to critical infrastructure quickly.
• Seamless Logistics Coordination: We navigated significant logistical challenges, ensuring strategic allocation of personnel, equipment, and resources to the areas most in need, despite rapidly changing conditions.
• Sustained Support & Infrastructure Recovery: While our direct restoration efforts concluded in December 2024, we remain engaged in long-term recovery efforts, supporting ongoing infrastructure repairs as communities work to rebuild.

Hurricane Helene was a catastrophic event that reshaped entire communities. There were no budgets or deadlines, only the urgent need to restore power, provide stability, and help people rebuild their lives.

Think Power Solutions rose to the challenge, bringing together expertise, coordination, and an unwavering commitment to helping Duke Energy and the communities they serve.

www.thinkpowersolutions.com