LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – While both ERCOT and the Southwest Power Pool expect normal grid conditions during the upcoming winter storm, infrastructure damage like downed power lines could still lead to local outages.
LP&L and Xcel Energy are positioning crews and preparing their systems for the long weekend weather event.
Ice poses main threat to power lines
LP&L spokesperson Matt Rose said ice is the main concern during winter storms, as its weight can snap power lines and branches above them.
“If there is a large storm, we will have outages. But our crews will be out there. They’ll be ready to go to get that power on as quickly and safely as possible,” Rose said.
While customers in the City of Lubbock buy power from their provider of choice, LP&L remains responsible for maintaining and repairing the infrastructure that delivers power to homes and businesses.
Rose said crews will be stationed around town to fix issues, but the utility hopes to restore power even before repairs are completed.
“What we are going to try to do, is we are going to try to get customers that are on a circuit that’s been damaged onto one that’s currently operating, so that crews can isolate that damage, they can fix that line, but we can get folks on faster than what it’s going to take them, three, four hours to actually do those repairs,” Rose said.
Snow is not a big factor in outages but can impact how quickly crews can reach problem areas, Rose said.
For Xcel Energy, which powers many small towns and rural areas outside Lubbock, access can be even more challenging.
Casey Meeks, the regional vice president for Distribution Operations in Southwestern Public Service, said crews are already preparing for the storm and will be stationed throughout the service area, but crew safety is the top concern.
“We don’t want to put them at risk of accidents or issues. That doesn’t help restore the power quickly, right? So, we want to make sure they’re safe. It may take a little longer, just have patience with us. Think of those guys that are out working in those conditions and, you know, try to have a little bit of grace for them,” Meeks said.
Grid improvements and backup plans
Xcel operates on the Southwest Power Pool, which covers many states. Meeks said with the larger territory, there are more resources and the company does not expect issues providing power.
“But our energy supply group is also preparing for these cold weather events. They have procedures in place where they’re looking at fuel availability and having some backup options at several of our plants, as well,” Meeks said.
LP&L has invested $500 million over the last eight years in system improvements, making it stronger than before, Rose said.
While customers are not asked to conserve energy, Rose said turning off unnecessary lights or delaying laundry loads can help the overall system.
“ERCOT as a system has every single resource ready to bring to bear, and they’re going to do that. But everything that you can do on your end to be efficient helps the overall system,” Rose said.
Outage reporting
LP&L has smart meters across town, so customers experiencing outages do not need to call. The meters automatically notify the utility.
Xcel is implementing smart meters across its service area, but hasn’t reached all of them. So, customers should call to report outages or use the company’s website.
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