Utilities’ resources reassigned to assist utilities in areas expected to sustain greatest storm impact
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – As Hurricane Dorian’s expected landfall impact transitions from Florida to coastal communities in states further north, so too have resources requested to assist utility companies in restoring power once the storm moves on.
A total of nearly 260 Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company employees and contractors were deployed to Florida over the weekend as Dorian moved toward the U.S. The crews – made up of line technicians, team leaders, safety specialists, tree specialists and additional support staff – were staged in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami to assist Florida Power and Light and Duke Florida, but as the storm track shifted, the crews were released by those utilities and many reassigned to assist utilities further up the coast.
Currently about 237 LG&E and KU employees and contractors are now preparing to assist South Carolina Gas and Electric, Dominion Energy (Virginia and North Carolina) and Duke Energy (North and South Carolina). The crews will be staged at various locations assigned by each utility until Dorian passes and restoration efforts begin.
LG&E and KU answered the call to send resources as part of its participation in nationwide mutual assistance organizations in which a collection of utility companies assist other utilities in times of natural disasters and crisis situations. LG&E and KU continue to participate in mutual assistance calls and to adjust assistance plans as needed based on ongoing communications.
Here in Kentucky
LG&E and KU customers are always the utilities’ top priority. Before making a decision to send crews, LG&E and KU ensure there are ample resources on hand for anything from routine maintenance to emergency situations. The utilities take many factors into consideration — including the weather heading toward Kentucky — when allocating resources.
The utilities pull small numbers of resources from across the service territories to ensure ample resources are available for the local areas. To help put this into perspective, LG&E and KU cover more than 90 counties in Kentucky and have more than 40 crew centers.
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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve nearly 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 328,000 natural gas and 414,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 555,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
