TVA employee reflects on restoring power in Puerto Rico

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — With the 2018 hurricane season underway, TVA employees are reflecting on their time restoring power in Puerto Rico.

Earlier this year TVA employees went to island on a mission, to help get the power grid restored.

“Our main job was to anytime there was a pole down that they couldn’t get to or in a hard location, we would assist them in getting it back up on the edge of the road or somewhere where it was easier access and still had to make sure it was cheaper and faster, that type of thing,” said Jeff Phillips, a TVA civil engineer.

Phillips was there for 45 days. One moment he says he’ll remember is helping restore power to the home an eighteen-year-old man who was on life support.

Courtesy: TVA

“His family had actually been taken care of him by keeping him on generators the entire time. We made that a priority case and about a week and a half after we found him, but really that was the highlight of my time in Puerto Rico,” Phillips said.

Phillips says everyone they helped was thankful.

“They were actually feeding us while we were out there putting the powerlines up. But the general population in Puerto Rico was very nice and had an enjoyable time talking to them,” he said.

Phillips is glad he was able to experience this.

“The fact that TVA allowed us to go out and help the people in Puerto Rico was a benefit obviously to the people in Puerto Rico, but I think is a great thing for us to be doing to take the skills that we have at TVA and help other people around the nation,” Phillips said.

Officials say about 99 percent of power is restored in Puerto Rico.