Wake Forest Power crews are responding to power outages affecting approximately 300 Wake Forest Power customers in the vicinity of South Main Street/US 1A and Tyler Run Drive.
The cause of the outages is not known, and there is no word on when power will be restored.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
***UPDATE - The cause of the outage is a blown transformer. Power is expected to be restored by 2 p.m.
Wake Forest Power crews are responding to a power outage affecting approximately 25 customers along Rice Circle and Judson Drive.
There is no word on the cause of the outage or when power will be restored.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
***UPDATE - Power has been restored to all affected customers.
The information below was distributed at 7:14 a.m.
Wake Forest Power crews are responding to power outages affecting approximately 1,500 Wake Forest Power customers. The outages were caused by high winds and downed trees and limbs from last night’s storm.
Affected areas include, but are not limited to, the Reynolds Mill and Cimarron neighborhoods, South Forest Business Park, and along South Main Street/US 1A.
There is no word on when power will be restored.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
***UPDATE - Power has been restored. Crews are attempting to determine the cause of today’s outage.
The following information was distributed at 8:31 a.m.
Wake Forest Power crews are responding to a power outage affecting approximately 350 Wake Forest Power customers in and around downtown Wake Forest.Affected streets include, but are not limited to, Mockingbird Lane, North Allen Road, Deacon Ridge Street, Caddell Street, South Brooks Street, Roosevelt Avenue, and North Franklin Street.
The cause of the outage is not known, but power should be restored by 9:30 a.m.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
***UPDATE - Power has been restored.
Approximately 300 Wake Forest Power customers in the vicinity of North Taylor Street and Wait Avenue are without power.
The cause of the outage is a blown fuse.
Crews are responding and power should be restored by 7 a.m.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
Power has been restored. The cause was a faulty lightning arrester.
The information below was distributed today at 11 a.m.:
Approximately 110 Wake Forest Power customers in the vicinity of Unicon Drive are without power. Affected streets include Unicon Drive, Superior Drive, and Star Road.
The cause of the outage is not known.
Crews are responding but there is no word on when power will be restored.
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 1-7. As part of this annual week-long celebration, the Town and Wake Forest Power will offer the following free events and activities:
Public Power Week Trivia Contest
From now through Wednesday, Oct. 4, WFP residential customers can enter to win free electricity in October by visiting http://bit.ly/WFPublicPowerWeek and participating in the Public Power Week Trivia Contest. Everyone who answers all the questions correctly will be entered in the drawing for free electricity. Three winners will be announced during the afternoon Energy Expo on Thursday, Oct. 5.
Savings for Seniors Bingo
Wake Forest-area seniors are invited to enjoy a special morning of bingo on Monday, Oct. 2, 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 Public Power merchandise, along with 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 special prizes. 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.
Daytime & Afternoon Energy Expo
On Thursday, Oct. 5, the Town Hall lobby will be the scene of a daytime and afternoon Energy Savings & Electric Safety Expo. Featuring hands-on demonstrations and representatives from Wake Forest Power, ElectriCities, Northern Regional Center, NC811, ChurchNet, Wake County Human Services, and more, the daytime event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., while the afternoon edition is scheduled from 4:30-6 p.m. 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 can also register to win Public Power merchandise, as well as special prizes donated by local merchants.
Free Hot Dogs
WFP will celebrate Customer Appreciation Day on Thursday, Oct. 5, 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. 5, 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: Jeremiah’s Italian Ice – Wake Forest, Dr. Monkey’s Ridiculously Good Caramels, Marquee Cinemas Wakefield Commons 12, Benchmark Community Bank, Fidelity Bank Wake Forest, Pelican’s Snoballs, Goldfish Swim School Wake Forest, Page 158 Books, Quality Plus Automotive – Wake Forest, Hillridge Farms, Goodberry’s Frozen Custard, PDQ – Wake Forest, Vision Martial Arts, Wells Family Dental Group, Planet Smoothie – Wake Forest, Polar Ice House – Wake Forest, Crossroads Fellowship – Wake Forest, YMCA Camp Kanata, Bumgarner & Martin Orthodontics, Granite Falls Swim & Athletic Club, Marbles Kids Museum, Legacy Heritage Apartments, Texas Roadhouse Wake Forest, and Wake Forest Charter Academy
A division of the Town of Wake Forest, WFP supplies electricity to approximately 7,000 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.
The second and final rate increase of the year for Wake Forest Power residential customers will take effect in September.
In March, confronted with spiraling equipment and materials costs and major supply chain issues following a string of mild winters, and facing a potential deficit of as much as $12 million over the next three to four years, the Board of Commissioners (BOC) voted to raise residential rates 9.5 percent in both April and September.
September’s rate increase means that a customer using an average of 910 kWh per month who is now paying $135.75 a month ($1,628.96/year) will pay nearly $13 more per month ($148.58/month and $1,782.94/year).
Despite this year’s two rate hikes, the September increase will mark only the fifth time since 2008 WFP has raised electric rates. A division of the Town of Wake Forest, WFP operates as an enterprise system which means no taxpayer dollars are used to subsidize the not-for-profit utility. Instead, electric rates are set to cover operating expenses and costs associated with providing reliable electric service.
For more information, contact Assistant Town Manager/Chief Financial Officer Aileen Staples at 919-435-9461 or astaples@wakeforestnc.gov.
The Town of Wake Forest is pleased to announce that Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Aileen Staples has been promoted to Assistant Town Manager/CFO effective July 1, 2023.
As Assistant Town Manager/CFO, Staples will assist Town Manager Kip Padgett with a variety of Town priorities, organizational initiatives, and special projects. She will also oversee the following departments: Finance, Budget, Risk Management, Information Technology, Organizational Performance, and Wake Forest Power.
A native of Woodland, NC, Staples served as Wake Forest’s Finance Director from 1991 to 1999, and again from 2001 to 2017 when she was named CFO.
During her tenure, Wake Forest has earned AAA bond ratings from all three national credit rating agencies, including Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s (S&P), and Fitch Ratings Services. The Town has also received multiple awards for excellence in financial reporting and budgeting.
Staples earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Meredith College. She is also a graduate of the UNC School of Government’s Municipal & County Administration.
Staples has served as President of the NC Local Government Investment Association and is a member of the NC Local Government Budget Association, as well as both the National and State Government Finance Officers Associations.
A Wake Forest resident for 28 years, Staples currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Wake Forest Federal Savings and Loan and Grace Haven Baptist Fellowship.
Beginning the week of July 24 and continuing into the week of July 31, the Town of Wake Forest will periodically reduce to one lane portions of South Main Street/US 1A daily from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The temporary closures are necessary to allow tree crews to safely trim tree limbs and branches around overhead power lines.
The first phase of lane closures will occur along the northbound lane of South Main from Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass to Elm Avenue.
The second phase of lane closures will occur along the southbound lane of South Main from Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass to Selsey Drive.
Signage and flaggers will be in place to manage traffic flow and safely direct motorists through the work area. Delays are expected, so drivers are encouraged to take an alternate route if possible.
Wake Forest Power works year-round to minimize storm impacts through preventive maintenance, including the trimming of trees around Wake Forest’s 140 miles of overhead electric distribution lines. Downed trees and limbs are the leading cause of power outages during storms but more importantly endanger the lives of utility workers and the public. For more information, email Tree Trimming Supervisor Richard Perry at rperry@wakeforestnc.gov.
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.
