MADISON (WKOW) -- Alliant Energy is sending more crews to the East Coast as restoration work continues there after Superstorm Sandy.
This is Alliant Energy's the third wave of restoration crews sent to the East Coast. This group is expected to arrive in New York on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on weather.
So far, approximately 205 Alliant Energy workers from Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota have responded to damage cause by Sandy.
The first wave of crews left on October 28, and the majority of those workers are still in New York.
The latest group of 63 will be working on the natural gas system around West Hempstead, New York. This group incorporates 28 workers from Wisconsin, 34 workers from Iowa, and one worker from Minnesota.
"We're proud of our staff that headed east," Vern Gebhart, Vice President of Energy Delivery Operations said. "To date, our crews have been very safe while working in extreme conditions and mountainous terrain. The reason we're able to give such a large response is because our staff back home have really stepped up and provided great support."
The latest estimates from the Department of Energy are that 67,000 utility workers, from 80 different companies are responding to the restoration effort on the East Coast. At its worst, Hurricane Sandy affected more than 8.5 million electric and gas customers. As of Tuesday morning, crews had restored power to more than 7.3 million customers.
"By the end of Tuesday night, Alliant Energy crews will have logged more than 19,500 hours on the East Coast," Gebhart said. "And we know we're not done yet."
