NEWARK — The Energy Cooperative is currently experiencing a power outage in the areas surrounding the Bladensburg substation which is affecting roughly 1,300 members.

The cause of the outage is due to AEP transmission problems. The Energy Cooperative has dispatched crews to back-feed the Bladensburg substation from the Martinsburg substation. This procedure will take roughly 2 1/2 hours. The estimated time of power restoration for the Bladensburg substation is 11:30 a.m. today.

 Customers experiencing a power outage should call The Energy Cooperative's Outage Reporting Service at 1-888-535-5732.

Downed power lines can be extremely dangerous. Those who encounter such lines should consider all downed power lines to be energized. To avoid serious injury or even death stay clear of all downed power lines. Keep others, including your pets, away from the line. Do not try to touch, move or repair a downed power line.

If you encounter a downed power line, call The Energy Cooperative immediately at 1-888-535-5732 to report the downed line.