News Releases

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (December 10, 2024) – Rhode Island Energy (RIE) is closely monitoring a storm forecasted to hit New England early Wednesday into early Thursday, bringing heavy rain and high winds with it. Current forecasts call for winds with potential gusts of more than 70 mph along the coast and 50 mph inland. RIE is gearing up for the storm and has secured 180 extra line and tree crews to help restore any customer outages as quickly and safely as possible.

“Soaking rain and strong winds increase the risk of trees and branches falling onto power lines and equipment, leading to power outages,” said Greg Cornett, president of Rhode Island Energy. “To prepare, we’re taking every necessary step to ensure our team is ready to respond. Crews will be stationed at our work centers across the state ahead of the storm, allowing them to quickly address any damage and restore power as fast as safety allows.”

As RIE continues to prepare for the storm, the energy company encourages customers to do the same by putting together or replenishing a storm kit. This should include essentials such as flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable foods, pet supplies, and necessary medications. Additionally, RIE advises ensuring cell phones and other devices are fully charged, creating an emergency plan with family members, and checking in on elderly neighbors and friends.   

RIE urges customers to stay away from all downed wires, assume they are energized, and report them promptly by calling 911. 

Additionally, customers can report an outage in the following ways:

• Report it online at RIEnergy.com/outage
• Text OUTAGE to RIEMSG (743674) to report an outage
• Text STATUS to RIEMSG (743674) to check on the status of your outage
• Call our Contact Center at 1-855-743-1101

For more tips on storm preparation, visit the Storm Preparedness & Safety section of our website.

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About Rhode Island Energy

Rhode Island Energy provides essential energy services to over 770,000 customers across Rhode Island through the delivery of electricity or natural gas. Our team of more than 1,300 employees is dedicated to helping Rhode Island customers and communities thrive, while supporting the transition to a cleaner energy future. Rhode Island Energy is part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient, and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. For more information visit www.RIEnergy.com and stay connected on X, Facebook, and Instagram.