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5 Ways Atlantic City Electric’s Preventive Maintenance Reduces Storm Outages

September is National Preparedness Month, and as the recent series of historically intense hurricanes demonstrated, being prepared for emergency situations is more important than ever. That’s why Atlantic City Electric prepares year round for powerful weather events like hurricanes, super storms, and snow storms.

Here are five things you need to know about the preventative work we do to prep for major storms:

  1. During the past five years, we spent $767 million in electric system upgrades, replacing utility poles and power lines, and expanding our existing infrastructure by installing automation devices that isolate outages and quickly restore customers’ power.
  2. In 2016, we committed $160 million to maintain and strengthen our power delivery system, including constructing a new substation and transmission lines in Cape May County. Revitalizing our infrastructure is just part of our effort to do our best to prepare for a weather emergency.
  3. We annually maintain vegetation along thousands of miles of distribution power lines to keep falling trees and limbs from affecting service during powerful storms. Side View of Atlantic City Electric Company Truck
  4. We partner with the Cape May County Office of Emergency Management to share important storm preparedness safety tools with our customers. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the Division of Animal Health, and American Red Cross provide useful tips for preparing for potential weather-related outages.
  5. We actively monitor weather forecasts to determine the best course of action in preparing our crews and employees for a particular weather event. In 2016, our three utilities received and evaluated more than 2,000 weather reports and alerts, making us more agile in the face of storms.

We’re also helping others in our industry respond to the effects of severe storms. More than 2,000 utility workers across the Exelon family of companies, including Atlantic City Electric, mobilized to assist in restoration efforts in Florida following Hurricane Irma.