MAYS LANDING - As of 6 p.m. Friday, Atlantic City Electric has restored service to all customers impacted by Winter Storm Hernando. Following the impacts of the storm, which brought blizzard conditions with record-breaking snowfall and 70-miles-per-hour wind gusts that caused significant damage to trees and powerlines, Atlantic City Electric's Emergency Response Organization mobilized a full-scale restoration effort involving more than 1,600 field personnel working around the clock to repair damage and restore power.
In total, more than 130,000 customers experienced power outages because of the storm, with widespread damage throughout South Jersey. The last winter storm of this magnitude, with a comparable number of outages, occurred in 201, making this the most significant winter storm the region has experienced in more than a decade. Through the hard work and dedication of Atlantic City Electric employees, contractors, and mutual assistance crews, more than 90% of impacted customers were restored in less than 48 hours.
“Power outages, particularly in winter, can be incredibly challenging for our customers and communities we serve, and we are grateful for their patience as our teams worked safely and as quickly as possible to restore service,” said Tyler Anthony, president and CEO of Atlantic City Electric’s parent company, Pepco Holdings. “I’m grateful for our field crews, our Emergency Response Organization, and the over 750 mutual assistance personnel, along with customer care teams who answered the call to support restoration efforts. Many worked long hours, day and night, often while facing outages themselves. Their willingness to put customers first reflects the dedication our employees bring to the communities where they live and work.”
Storm restoration efforts for this storm were extremely labor-intensive with crews working around the clock to assess damage and actively rebuild areas of the electric system where extensive damage occurred. During the first 24 hours of the storm, travel to damage sites was treacherous given the amount of snow that the region received. Many significant restoration sites had damaged and downed trees, wires, and poles that had to be removed before repairs could be completed. Broken poles had to be reset and, depending on the extent of the damage and the repairs required, multiple crews were needed to complete one outage restoration job.
Atlantic City Electric continues to invest in the local energy grid to help withstand extreme weather like Winter Storm Hernando. Continuous investment helps to reduce the number of outages that occur, and when outages cannot be prevented, these upgrades help to bring customers back online faster. As a result of some of the company’s recent investments, including smart meters, Atlantic City Electric was able to detect problems faster and deploy field resources more effectively.
During this storm, this technology helped avoid dispatching approximately 1,200 crews unnecessarily, reducing the length of outages for all impacted customers.
To learn more about Atlantic City Electric, visit The Source, Atlantic City Electric’s online newsroom.
