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3 Things to Know about the Solar Eclipse

The last time we saw a total solar eclipse in the continental United States, it was February 1979. Washington, D.C., didn’t have a major league baseball club. Jimmy Carter was president. Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” was taking over the airwaves, and Superman was dominating the box office.

Another eclipse is coming Monday, with solar power resources declining temporarily that afternoon. But our customers can rest assured: Pepco is ready.

Here are three things you need to know ahead of Monday’s spectacular solar event:

  1. We expect no power grid reliability issues. Solar power panels will lose their fuel source to varying degrees from 1:30 to 3:40 p.m. We will use our reserve energy in replacement.
  2. The impact of the eclipse on our solar power supply will depend on the cloudiness of the day. Regardless of actual sunlight blocked, we are ready.
  3. Europe experienced a total eclipse in 2015 with no impact on power reliability thanks to coordinated planning.

The sun may not be shining at full force on Monday, but our promise to deliver our customers safe, reliable, and affordable energy never dims.