Company implemented strategic restoration plan; mobilized maximum resources to complete restoration

Washington, D.C. (March 14, 2017) - Within 18 hours, Pepco fully restored power to all 20,400 customers who reported that they lost electrical service due to Winter Storm Stella. 

We began implementing our restoration strategy about a week  before Winter Storm Stella swept into the mid-Atlantic region, which uprooted trees and downed power lines, causing damage to our electric infrastructure. We mobilized substantial internal and external resources, dedicating nearly 1,300 total personnel to the restoration effort.

"This has been an immense restoration effort. We could not have accomplished it if it were not for the planning, preparation, and performance of staff and crews," said Donna Cooper, Pepco Region President.  "We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers and community partners. We would like to thank the hard-working crews, emergency management agencies, government officials and the local media for keeping our customers safe and informed."

In the past three years, we've invested more than $658 million in the District of Columbia to create a stronger, more resilient, more dynamic electric grid - making it more weather resistant and less vulnerable to storm damage. We've made similar investments in Pepco's Maryland territory.

Background

Preparation

We closely monitored the path of Winter Storm Stella. As we tracked the storm's path, we activated the Storm Center and staffed more than 180 customer care representatives to help answer emergency calls. On March 13, we placed an outbound call to about 900 customers who had enrolled in our emergency medical equipment program urging them to activate their emergency plans. 

Damage Recap

Winter Storm Stella struck the Washington, D.C. area with snowfall and wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour which downed trees and damaged power lines, causing damage to our electric system infrastructure.  

Snowfall, sleet, ice, wind and fallen limbs were significant contributors to the damage the system suffered.

Pepco's Response

We mobilized nearly 1,300 total personnel, including more than 400 line personnel, 300 field support personnel and 180 call center personnel, who worked around the clock with a focus on safety until we restored all power. 

We remained in constant contact with state and local emergency management agencies, fire departments and departments of transportation to ensure a coordinated community response. We received approximately 10,000 customer calls during the storm.

Post-Restoration Follow-Up

While we have restored initial outages associated with Winter Storm Stella, tree limbs weakened by the storm may continue to fall and cause additional service disruptions. Our crews are patrolling major power lines for the next few days to identify any of these potential problems.  

If customers experience an outage, we ask them to report it by calling 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662)  or by going to pepco.com/reportoutage, so repair crews can dispatch quickly to restore service.