PEABODY — Two lineworkers from the Peabody Municipal Light Plant went down to Georgia to help fix in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Kevin MacGregor, a supervisor and lineworker, and Ed Melo, a lead lineworker and troubleworker, left for Cordele, Georgia, on Sept. 27 in PMLP’s Truck 58, PMLP said in a statement.
PMLP was called upon by the Northeast Public Power Association’s mutual aid network to assist the South following the storm. Once in Georgia, MacGregor and Melo helped the Crisp County Power Commission work to restore power to thousands of people.
“Mutual aid is an important investment in public power and other municipalities around the country. We are all partners,” PMLP General Manager Joe Anastasi said in the statement. “When natural disaster or other catastrophic events happen, utilities in cities and towns do what we do best: help get power restored to customers.”
Mutual aid is fully paid for by the requesting utility company, PMLP said.
“Although PMLP has not requested mutual aid, being a part of this network assures that Peabody and South Lynnfield will have support should it ever face such a disaster,” according to the statement.
Other local public power utilities who have sent aid to areas affected by Hurricane Helene include Danvers, Wakefield, Rowley, Middleton and Reading.