As hurricane season begins, Dominion Energy Virginia continues its year-round storm preparation to strengthen the grid, reduce power outages and shorten restoration times.
The company’s storm preparation work includes regularly trimming trees near power lines, burying lines in the most outage-prone areas, and replacing older utility poles to better withstand major storms. Fallen trees and limbs are the leading cause of storm-related power outages, so regular preparation helps reduce damage and prevent outages.
Through its Strategic Underground Program, Dominion Energy has buried about 2,900 miles of outage-prone power lines in Virginia, including about 300 miles in the last year. The program has reduced annual outage time for customers served by buried lines from eight hours to just two minutes. During major storms, the program has also reduced restoration times by up to 50% for all customers.
Through its Mainfeeder Hardening Program, the company has replaced more than 8,000 older utility poles and hardened over 350 miles of power lines in Virginia. The program has reduced average annual outage time by 44% for customers in these areas.
“We know how important reliable power is for our customers, especially in the summer heat,” said Ed Baine, Dominion Energy’s Executive Vice President of Utility Operations and President of Dominion Energy Virginia. “We prepare year-round to prevent storm damage, reduce outages, and shorten restoration times after major storms. Year-round preparation strengthens the reliability of our service and delivers real benefits for our customers.”
In addition to year-round work to minimize storm damage and outages, Dominion Energy employees conduct regular training and drilling exercises to prepare for hurricane season. This includes joint exercises with other utilities, and regular coordination with state and local emergency response agencies.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Dominion Energy encourages customers to begin preparing now:
- Download the Dominion Energy mobile app to report outages and track restoration.
- Charge phones and electronic devices ahead of storms.
- Have backup generators serviced and operate them safely outdoors only.
- Keep flashlights, batteries, water, medications and other emergency supplies available.
- Stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and report them by calling 866-DOM-HELP.
Additional storm preparation and safety tips are available on the Dominion Energy website: dominionenergy.com/about/our-stories/hurricane-preparedness.
About Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va., provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million homes and businesses in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina. The company is one of the nation’s leading developers and operators of regulated offshore wind and solar power and the largest producer of carbon-free electricity in New England. The company’s mission is to provide the reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers its customers every day. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.
News Category: Virginia & North Carolina
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