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Talking Summer Storms with the Washington Post

If you’ve lived in the area long, you know that our weather can change quickly. From flash flooding, to severe thunderstorms, hail, or even tornados – Pepco customers have seen it all. Of course, we’re a tough bunch, so a little weather isn’t going to stop us from making the most of the summer. But being prepared for summer storms is critical. Recently, our Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Tyler Anthony, talked with The Washington Post about some of the ways we prepare and how our customers can prepare too.

Q: What is something people often forget to do when inclement weather is approaching?

A: Just as Pepco prepare ahead of potentially severe weather, customers should also be prepared. Make sure mobile phones are charged and download the Pepco app, which is a quick and easy way to access important information about your energy service. Customers can also visit pepco.com for tips on how they can be prepared for severe weather.

Q: What steps should people take if the power goes out in their neighborhood?

A: The safety of our customers and communities is always our top priority. We urge our customers to stay away from downed wires and assume any downed wire, or other equipment, is energized.  To report an outage or downed wire, call 1-877-PEPCO-62 or report and track through our mobile app or our website at pepco.com.

Q: How did Pepco prepare for the 2019 hurricane season? 

A: Pepco completes hundreds of tasks each year to prepare for the summer season, including system work, testing, and drills. Thousands of Pepco employees and contractors across the area are ready to respond to severe summer storms or emergencies, if needed.

Q: What ongoing work is Pepco doing behind the scenes that people don’t see every day?

A: We are working every day to modernize and strengthen the energy grid by trimming trees, installing new poles, and upgrading equipment. This work is essential both to reduce the number of outages and restore service faster when outages do occur. In the last five years, we’ve delivered record reliability to our customers, reducing the frequency of outages by 30 percent.

Pepco is also proud to be partnering with the District Department of Transportation on the DC PLUG Initiative, through which up to 30 of the most vulnerable distribution feeders in the District will be placed underground, further enhancing the resiliency and reliability of the grid in the face of severe storms.

Originally published by Tara Shubbuck, Washington Post. June 17, 2019