Wake Forest Power

Wake Forest Power (WFP) has received a national commendation from the American Public Power Association (APPA) for its support in electric power restoration efforts in Bartow and Ocala, Florida, last year following Hurricanes Milton and Helene.  

In October, WFP sent crews to the Florida communities to help restore power following the storms that killed dozens and left millions without electricity.

A public power utility, WFP participates in APPA’s Mutual Aid Network, which coordinates with utilities and authorities during widespread power outages.

According to Wake Forest Town Manager Kip Padgett, mutual aid is at the heart of what public power is all about.

“We are committed to the ideal of neighbor helping neighbor,” said Town Manager Kip Padgett. “Through APPA’s mutual aid program we can demonstrate that commitment by answering the call when our neighbors are in need – whether they are next door or thousands of miles away.”

For more information about Wake Forest Power, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-power.

***UPDATE - Power has been restored. The culprit was an unfortunate squirrel.

Wake Forest Power crews are responding to a power outage affecting approximately 60 customers in and around the Deacons Ridge subdivision.

The cause of the outage is not known.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Wake Forest Power offers an online outage map and reporting tool that makes it easy for customers to report power outages and receive real-time information about power interruptions. The outage map and reporting tool are accessible from www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-power.

For WFP customers without laptops or cell phones with internet capabilities, outages may still be reported by calling 919-435-9478.

The Town of Wake Forest will temporarily close the portion of South Avenue from South Wingate Street to South Main Street/US 1A Monday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

The temporary road closure is necessary to allow crews to remove a tree that poses a danger to public safety.

A signed detour will be in place to safely direct traffic around the work area. Delays are expected, so motorists may wish to avoid the area and choose an alternate route.

The Town of Wake Forest offers an interactive map that gives residents a user-friendly and convenient way to view local road closures and restrictions. Available at https://bit.ly/WFTrafficMap, the Traffic Alerts Map allows visitors to point and click on current road and lane closures throughout Wake Forest. Motorists are encouraged to use the information to help plan their route and move safely through work areas.

Durham Road/NC 98 is closed near the intersection of Oakwood Drive due to a downed tree and power line across the roadway.

A detour is in place. Motorists should avoid the area and use an alternate route.

There is no word on when the road will reopen.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

The Town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest Power (WFP) are joining more than 2,000 not-for-profit utilities in celebrating Public Power Week October 6-12. As part of this annual week-long celebration, the Town and Wake Forest Power will offer a variety of free events and activities.

Enter to Win Free Electricity

From now through Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 4 p.m. Wake Forest Power residential customers can enter to win free electricity in October in one of two ways. Choose from the options below - only one entry per account:

1. Participate in the Public Power Week Trivia Contest. All the answers to the trivia questions can be found on the Town of Wake Forest website. Every customer that answers all 10 questions correctly will be entered into a drawing for free electricity. 
2. Donate a minimum of four non-perishable items for the Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry (TAMFP) to our Customer Service counter in the lobby of Town Hall.

Three winners (two from the Trivia Contest submissions and one from those that donate non-perishable items) will be announced during the Energy Expo on Thursday, Oct. 10 and on the Wake Forest Power Facebook page.

Savings for Seniors Bingo
Wake Forest-area seniors are invited to enjoy a special morning of bingo on Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Ground Floor Meeting Room of the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Highlighting a variety of energy-savings ideas, “Savings for Seniors Bingo” will offer participants the chance to have fun and win prizes donated by local merchants. Please note: The Ground Floor Meeting Room is most easily accessed via Town Hall’s Taylor Street entrance. For more information, contact Community Outreach Assistant Kiel Ortiz at 919-435-9479 or Kortiz@wakeforestnc.gov.

Customer Appreciation
Public Power Week is also Customer Appreciation Week. As our way of saying “thank you” to our valued customers, Town staff will serve popcorn each day in the lobby of Town Hall and give away a variety of Public Power Week promotional items. Staff will also be available to share information and answer questions about WFP’s array of customer programs and services. For more information, contact Administrative Specialist Jenna Gonzales at 919-435-9573 or jgonzales@wakeforestnc.gov.

Energy Expo
On Thursday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., the Town Hall lobby will be the scene of an Energy Savings & Electric Safety Expo featuring hands-on demonstrations and representatives from Wake Forest Power, ElectriCities, Northern Regional Center, ChurchNet, Wake County Human Services, and more. Area residents are invited to attend and learn how to make their homes more energy efficient, save money on their electric bills, avoid electric hazards, and be safe around electricity. During the energy expo, participants will also have the chance to win special prizes donated by local merchants.

Free Hot Dogs
WFP will celebrate Customer Appreciation Day on Thursday, Oct. 10, by giving away free hot dogs and soft drinks beginning at 11 a.m. Area residents are invited to get a hot dog while they last.

Electric Safety Demonstrations
Also, during the day on Thursday, Oct. 10, WFP linemen will offer on-demand electric safety demonstrations in Centennial Plaza for groups of two or more. The creative program will teach children and adults smart electrical safety habits, demonstrate the power of electricity, and show the potential hazards associated with unsafe actions around power lines, pad mount transformers, and switchgear. Participants will also experience what it’s like to be a lineman and how they stay safe when working with electricity. By handling tools and safety equipment, visitors will have the chance to learn firsthand the importance of electrical safety. WFP will also display a bucket truck and other equipment in the Town Hall parking lot for visitors to view and enjoy.

A special thanks to the following local businesses for generously contributing to this year’s Public Power Week: Cadence Living at Wake Forest, Marquee Cinemas Wakefield Commons 12, Nothing Bundt Cakes - Wake Forest, Goldfish Swim School Wake Forest, Galaxy Fun Park, Quality Plus Automotive – Wake Forest, Red Robin - Wake Forest, Hillridge Farms, Jeremiah's Italian Ice, and Kids Street Urgent Care.

A division of the Town of Wake Forest, WFP supplies electricity to nearly 9,000 residential and commercial customers. A public power community since 1909, Wake Forest is one of 32 members of the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA). For more information about WFP visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-power.

For more information about Public Power Week events and activities, visit http://bit.ly/WFPublicPowerWeek or contact Administrative Specialist Jenna Gonzales at 919-435-9573 or jgonzales@wakeforestnc.gov.

Wake Forest Power has scheduled a brief power outage Tuesday morning, July 9, at 6 a.m. that will affect approximately 200 customers in Holding Village along the following streets:

South Franklin Street, Terrapin Lane, Remey Avenue, Kimber Lane, Roycroft Drive, Holding Dairy Drive, Piper Hill Lane, Holding Village Way, Friendship Chapel Road, Hillfarm Drive, and Hyperion Aly.

Tuesday’s planned outage is scheduled from 6-6:30 a.m., so crews can safely switch feeder lines. Affected customers will likely notice a brief interruption in their electric service.

Wake Forest Power wishes to thank the affected customers in advance for their patience and understanding during Tuesday’s planned outage. For more information, contact Electric Utility Director Chris Terrell at 919-435-9572 or cterrell@wakeforestnc.gov.

The cause of the outage is not known.

Wake Forest Power offers an online outage map and reporting tool that makes it easy for customers to report power outages and receive real-time information about power interruptions. The outage map and reporting tool are accessible from https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-power.

Wake Forest Power (WFP) has launched a new online outage map and reporting tool that makes it easier than ever for customers to report power outages and receive real-time information about power interruptions. The outage map and reporting tool are accessible from www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-power and provided as a function of the Town app (under Wake Forest Power).

When a power outage occurs, the interactive map will show a red dot in the approximate location of the outage, along with the number of affected customers and the current duration. The size of the dot will correlate to the size of the outage and will show outages of any size, even those that affect just one customer.

As an added benefit, the new outage map includes a “Report Outage” button (in the top right corner) customers can click on to quickly report an outage in their location from their computer or smart phone.

For WFP customers without laptops or cell phones with internet capabilities, outages may still be reported by calling 919-435-9478.

“We work hard to keep the lights on, but sometimes outages occur,” said Electric Utility Director Chris Terrell. “Our new interactive outage map offers a quick and easy way for customers to give and receive information while we’re working to restore power.”

For more information about WFP’s new outage map and reporting tool, email Chris Terrell at cterrell@wakeforestnc.gov.