Power is up: Washington Island homes, businesses asked to conserve electricity

Liz Welter | Green Bay Press-Gazette

WASHINGTON ISLAND - The underwater cable carrying electricity to Washington Island from the Door County peninsula was damaged Friday morning.

Back-up generators are providing electricity for Island homes and businesses, according to Robert Cornell, manager of the Washington Island Electric Cooperative.

Consumers are being asked to conserve electricty, Cornell said.

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"We're sending out information to customers to keep fuel consumption low," he said.

The back-up generators are fully capable of providing electricity throughout the Island but the fuel costs will increase with diesel expenses.

"It's a big deal, but it's not something unplanned," he said.

Repair of the cable, in place since 1981, is being planning by the Cooperative, Cornell said. The logistics are complicated because the cable is long and underwater. It is more than 20,000 feet long and lying under 130 feet of water.

"There was a fault in the cable and we're working on a temporary repair," Cornell said.