Of the 21,000 Golden Valley Electric Association customers that lost power in a record-breaking Fairbanks snowstorm this week, only about 4,000 were without power Thursday night.
In an update issued at 6:40 p.m., the electric company said it restored power to 2,000 customers in 12 hours.
Additional crews from the Matanuska Electric Association and from Anchorage were also headed to Fairbanks on Thursday night to help with repairs, GVEA said.
Anyone whose home doesn't have power -- and doesn't have obvious electrical problems -- in an area where neighbors have power should try resetting circuit breakers by turning them off and then back on.
"Due to the outages being so widespread, it is impossible to list all the streets and neighborhoods that crews are working in," GVEA officials wrote. "Some members should still expect to be without power for several days. Crews are not only removing down trees but are finding damaged equipment that will take longer to repair."
The utility asked residents of the region to leave outdoor lights on so linemen know which areas have electricity. It also asked customers not to contact the company if they've already done so, saying the extra calls were slowing efforts to help all customers.
"Many members have repeatedly called and/or sent emails; we understand your frustration, but this is hampering our efforts to hear from those members still without power for the first time," GVEA officials wrote.
The National Weather Service forecast possible snow and fog in the Fairbanks area for Friday.