Reliability is not accidental — it is planned, built and maintained every day. It is the outcome of strong plans, data-driven decisions, hard work and leading with action. In 2025, REC completed 48 grid improvement projects, including substation upgrades, automated switching and other system improvements that led to faster outage response and a more resilient grid. Crews and contractors also replaced 6,402 poles (many of them taller and stronger than the poles they replaced) and used drones to inspect more than 40,000 overhead assets.

This work allows crews to identify and fix issues before they cause outages. In 2025 alone, drone inspections helped identify more than 12,000 needed improvements.

Proactive maintenance remains foundational to reliability and that's especially true for vegetation management. Trees are the leading cause of outages in Virginia. In 2025, REC maintained more than 1,800 miles of right-of-way and removed just over 2,400 hazard trees, reducing storm-related outages and helping keep power on when conditions deteriorated. 

REC also continued strengthening the communications backbone that supports a more reliable grid. REC's Fiber Utility Network — planned to span 800 miles when complete — has connected substations across the Cooperative's system, improving the data and communications needed to monitor equipment and coordinate restoration. REC also implemented seven new dispatch radio terminals and outfitted one-person service buckets with portable radios to improve field communication beyond the truck. While this infrastructure supports broader connectivity goals, it also makes the electric system more visible, faster to respond and easier to manage in real time.

What this means for members

• Fewer outages by addressing the most common causes — especially vegetation and aging infrastructure — before storms hit.
• Faster restoration through modern switching, improved system visibility and stronger communications for crews in the field.
• A grid that is better prepared for the future, with upgrades that improve resilience and support reliable service as demand increases and technology evolves.