Xcel Energy is assisting the clean-up effort in Florida by sending crews and trucks to the hurricane-ravaged state to work with Florida utilities in bringing electrical power back to the hardest-hit areas.
Among the Xcel employees on the job in Florida is Tim Jude of Maple Lake. Jude is a lineman/journeyman of 15 years’ experience who works out of Xcel’s Monticello facilities.
The Xcel crews of 20 trucks and 30 workers arrived in Florida on September 8 after a three-day trip. They joined power crews from 12 other states and according to reports on KSTP-TV, which has been covering the story, about 5,000 of the country’s 7,300 power line repair workers are in Florida or are heading there.
Randy Jude of Buffalo, Tim’s cousin and Xcel foreman, said he will be leaving this week with another Xcel caravan for Florida and a work effort in that state of from three to four weeks. Randy said Xcel employees had the option of turning down the Florida emergency trip, but the response has been good. “Someday, we might need help back,” he said.
Plans are in place to evacuate the Xcel crews if Hurricane Ivan does hit Florida.
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