Good communication and cooperation with local authorities is key to reliable electricity supply in winter

Good communication and cooperation with the local authorities and with the representatives of the law enforcement agencies is of key importance for the prevention of accidents and the faster response to their removal, emphasized Victor Stanchev, Chief Operating Officer of ERM West. On 30.10.2024, he took part in the meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Order, Traffic Safety and Disaster Protection of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NSORB), which was held in the town of Samokov.

The readiness of the electricity distribution network for the winter is checked every year by the Ministry of Energy. This year, the inspections were carried out around Bansko and Razlog. Among the main activities to prevent shutdowns on the electricity distribution network during the winter season, Viktor Stanchev highlighted the need for the so-called sanitary felling, which should be carried out by the forest farms, and called for the cooperation of the municipalities in this process.

Other directions in which effective cooperation can be achieved to reduce power outages for the population is the maintenance of passable roads by municipal administrations. Viktor Stanchev called for cooperation in the removal of vegetation after pruning around the wires, as well as the provision of ecologists by the municipalities with the aim of faster and more efficient pruning. A schedule of maintenance and pruning for the following year is sent each year to coordinate activities with local authorities.

Viktor Stanchev called on the mayors to provide a list of the sites whose power supply should be restored as a priority in case of accidents.

At the end of the meeting, the mayor of Samokov, Angel Jorgov, who hosted the meeting, thanked for the good cooperation with Electrohold during the accidents due to the extreme weather conditions at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

In mid-October, a framework agreement was signed between NSORB and the three electricity distribution companies. The meeting in Samokov is in fulfillment of the framework agreement.