To ensure power outages and maintenance issues get prompt attention in rural central Nevada, NV Energy has assigned a five-person line crew to the company’s Hawthorne office.

The crew, consisting of a foreman, three linemen and an apprentice lineman, will be responsible for maintenance of the electric distribution system that serves Hawthorne, Tonopah, Gabbs, Goldfield, Schurz, Silver Peak and Round Mountain. Some maintenance and outage issues are already handled by other assigned personnel, known in utility jargon as “troublemen,” currently working out of NV Energy facilities located in Hawthorne and Tonopah.

According to Hawthorne Area Service Manager Will Johnson, while troublemen are able to make repairs needed to restore service in many situations, the line crews will have the heavy duty line trucks and other equipment needed to replace damaged power poles and to make other large scale repairs.

Until the crew was relocated to Hawthorne in June, communities in Mineral, Nye and Esmeralda counties were served by line crews that were dispatched from Carson City, which is124 miles from Hawthorne.

“Our line crew is replacing old poles and wire in order to improve system reliability, and should be able to respond more quickly to outages,” said Johnson, adding that NV Energy has built a new “truck barn” in Hawthorne to accommodate company vehicles, and expanded the inventory of the Hawthorne warehouse with more transformers, wire and other materials.

Although the Hawthorne office has added operations personnel, it doesn’t have a business office, meaning customers should continue to conduct transactions with the company by mail or over the Internet at www.nvenergy.com, or at Shop & Pay locations, including Joseph’s Market in Hawthorne.

NV Energy serves approximately 2,000 customers in Hawthorne.