Skip to main content
Outage Map
Apply for Service
SmartHub
Home
Menu
  • Have you tried our SmartHub App? Sign up today!
  • SEC is hosting a Blood Drive on Monday, June 30, 2025. Sign up now!
  • Sign up for paperless billing today! 
1 of 3 
  • My Account
    • Billing and Payments
    • Managing Your Service
    • Online Forms
    • Rate Structure
    • Text Service
  • My Co-op
    • About Santee Electric Cooperative
      • Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
      • Board of Trustees
      • Bylaws of Santee Electric
      • Management Team
    • Annual Meeting
    • Service Rates, Rules And Regulations
    • Capital Credits
    • Integrated Resource Plan
    • SEC How-To
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • My Energy Resources
    • Energy Programs
    • Help My House
    • Energy Tips and Tools
    • HomeServe
    • Green Power Website
    • Electric Vehicles
    • Solar Information
  • My Community
    • Community Programs
    • South Carolina Living
    • SEC in Schools
    • Washington Youth Tour/ Cooperative Youth Summit
    • Bright Ideas
    • Operation Round Up
    • Economic Development
    • Cooperative LIGHT
  • My Safety
    • Electric Safety
    • Safety Awareness
    • ABC's of Electricity
    • Safety Quiz
  • My Storm Center
    • Report a Power Outage
    • Power Restoration/Outage Information

Lightning damage repaired in time for heatwave

Monday | July 24, 2017
All News
Lightning damage repaired in time for heatwave

Santee Electric Cooperative, Inc. would like to formally thank everyone who helped make sure members in the Georgetown area stayed cool during this past weekend's heatwave.  

When SEC personnel arrived at our substation July 19 to begin efforts to restore 1,700 members' power, they were met by Palmetto Paving employees who witnessed the destructive lightning strike. The sheer force of the lightning strikes was evident by parts of the thick concrete foundation that had been blown out of the ground.

For the next 12 hours, SEC and local contract crews from Sumter Utilities worked to get the lights back on. They built a bypass around the damaged substation, built larger banks of voltage control regulators there and at a nearby substation and installed key circuit breakers to protect this and even more infrastructure from damage.

'For those of you who have electrical construction knowledge, you understand what a Herculean effort it was to complete all this in one night,' said Robert G. Ardis, SEC CEO.

This past weekend's heatwave would have been unbearable without electricity. These brave men worked all night after having already worked their regular day shift in the extreme heat.

Work didn't stop when power was restore around 6 a.m. July 20.

'We are going to build a bigger and better substation there, but in the meantime we are upgrading these temporary structures and monitoring things very closely,' Ardis said.   

These efforts will also ensure SEC is well prepared for this winter's load when members rely on electric heat for warmth. 

'I would like to thank our membership for their patience,' Ardis said. 'I'd also like to thank everyone who worked to make these restoration efforts possible.' 

belle isle 4

Back to Top

Peak Hours Reminder- Summer

Reminder: Summer peak hours are from 3-6 p.m., April 1- October 31!
LEARN MORE

Quick Links

  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us

©2025 Santee Electric Cooperative Inc. All Rights Reserved

  • My Account
    • Billing and Payments
    • Managing Your Service
    • Online Forms
    • Rate Structure
    • Text Service
  • My Co-op
    • About Santee Electric Cooperative
      • Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
      • Board of Trustees
      • Bylaws of Santee Electric
      • Management Team
    • Annual Meeting
    • Service Rates, Rules And Regulations
    • Capital Credits
    • Integrated Resource Plan
    • SEC How-To
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • My Energy Resources
    • Energy Programs
    • Help My House
    • Energy Tips and Tools
    • HomeServe
    • Green Power Website
    • Electric Vehicles
    • Solar Information
  • My Community
    • Community Programs
    • South Carolina Living
    • SEC in Schools
    • Washington Youth Tour/ Cooperative Youth Summit
    • Bright Ideas
    • Operation Round Up
    • Economic Development
    • Cooperative LIGHT
  • My Safety
    • Electric Safety
    • Safety Awareness
    • ABC's of Electricity
    • Safety Quiz
  • My Storm Center
    • Report a Power Outage
    • Power Restoration/Outage Information