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Power outages frustrate residents in Fairfax
Power problems and outages in northern Virginia are fueling frustration for some residents.
FAIRFAX, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Power problems and outages in northern Virginia are fueling frustration for some residents.
Now, Fairfax County leaders and Dominion Energy is planning to meet with residents on Tuesday night to address the issue.
Old Lee Highway is one of the apparent problematic areas where residents say they experience intermittent power outages — often without cause. The power outages last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
“Sometimes we have power outages that just come,” said Erica Sarvepalli, a Fairfax resident.
Sarvepalli says she’s lived in Fairfax for the last nine years. Her most recent power outage was reportedly five weeks ago — she says there was no weather event to cause the blackout.
It’s a council work session so even though it’s open to the public there is no public comment.
Several communities along Old Lee Highway reportedly had frequent power outages this summer, some during storms.
The city met with Dominion Energy previously in early September to discuss the matter.
The areas impacted include the Old Lee Highway corridor, where Country Club Hills, Old Lee Hills, Great Oaks, Lord Fairfax Estates, and other residential communities frequently lose power after storms year-round.
“We’re meeting with the city council on a weekly basis and also evaluating our infrastructure,” said Peggy Fox, a Dominion Energy Communications Media Manager.
According to Fairfax County, “At a previous meeting, the city asked if regulatory requirements will allow overhead betterment (circuit improvements to power lines) to be done based on a request from the city; and if the city’s franchise agreement, which allows 200 circuit feet of undergrounding credit per year, could be applied to offset the cost of that work.”
Dominion Energy is reportedly researching these points.