AMES, Iowa – A large outage affecting nearly 10,000 Ames Electric Services customers began just before noon today and was restored in approximately one hour. Customers in the outage area included the Ames Middle School and two other schools, parts of Campustown, west Lincoln Way businesses, and many homes and apartments.
Shortly after being alerted to the outage, Ames Electric Services dispatched crews who patrolled transmission lines. The lineworkers focused on equipment at the Mortensen Road and Ontario Street substations. Crews identified a failed lightning arrestor at the Mortensen Road substation and were able to reroute electricity to customers.