GRU and Duke Energy send crews to Georgia and the Carolinas to provide mutual aid for winter storm

Staff report

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – GRU and Duke Energy Florida have announced that they are sending crews to Georgia and the Carolinas to provide mutual aid for Winter Storm Fern.

GRU

In anticipation of Winter Storm Fern, GRU is sending two six-person crews of electric lineworkers to Sandersville, Geogia, on Saturday, Jan. 24.

“Right now, the plan is to head to Sandersville, but that’s fluid, depending on where we’re needed most,” said GRU Electric Transmission & Distribution Manager Ray Jordan. “As always, GRU stands ready to provide mutual aid to other utilities to ensure all electric customers have their electricity restored as quickly as possible. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that ensures we also can receive the help we need after storms and hurricanes.”

GRU is sending 14 electric transmission and distribution employees and one fleet mechanic to Sandersville, about two hours east of Atlanta. The storm has the potential to impact more than 200 million people in 35 states and is expected to cause widespread and possible long-lasting power outages, particularly from ice accumulations in parts of the south.  

Duke Energy Florida

At around 6 a.m. on January 23, roughly 500 Duke Energy Florida crew members and contractors departed from across the company’s 35-county service territory to support Winter Storm Fern response in the Carolinas.

The crews are headed to Florence, South Carolina, where they’ll be staged until after the storm passes and it’s safe for them to begin restoration in the impacted areas.

In total, about 18,000 workers are being sent to the Carolinas – including the 500 from Florida – which is comparable to what Duke Energy Florida brought in after Hurricane Helene in 2024 (16,000).