Our commitment to reliability
Safe, dependable electricity has always been at the center of what we do. As severe weather becomes more frequent and disruptive, LG&E and KU are going beyond our everyday work to make even bigger investments in strengthening our energy grid. These new efforts will reduce outages, speed up restoration, and make the grid better able to withstand the challenges of tomorrow.
We’re using more data and new technologies to help reduce risks before they happen, guide our processes when we replace aging equipment, eliminate obsolete technology and build a more resilient energy grid – all while optimizing our customers’ experience.
How we’re building a smarter, stronger grid
Through major programs and long-term planning, we’re improving reliability across the communities we're proud to serve.
Distribution System Hardening and Resiliency Program (DSHARP)
- A $445 million, multi-year program focused on upgrading neighborhood-level energy delivery with automated technology, stronger equipment, data-driven interventions, and targeted undergrounding in the most outage-prone areas. This includes:
- Smart reclosers detect problems and isolate them, restoring power faster.
- Circuit ties reroute electricity so fewer customers lose service.
- Stronger poles and wires better withstand 100-mile-per-hour wind gusts and half an inch of ice.
- Historical outage data pinpoints areas most vulnerable to frequent power outages, allowing for targeted sections of underground power lines.
Vegetation Management
- Trees and limbs are the leading cause of storm-related outages.
- Certified arborists and crews trim and remove hazardous trees before storms strike.
- Data and technology guide work where it’s most needed.
- Preventing outages today avoids costly repairs tomorrow.
As our crews conduct this important work, you may see them safely working in your neighborhood. Please use caution while driving around them and follow safety signage to help keep everyone safe.
Benefits of our improvements
Our energy grid is already strong. Over the last several years, we’ve reduced the frequency of power outages by 40% and the amount of time customers are without power by 30%. These new efforts will make it even stronger.
- A $445 million investment in DSHARP through 2029.
- Nearly 18,000 miles of distribution and 5,400 miles of transmission lines more actively maintained through enhanced vegetation management.
- Hardening hundreds of substations with more automated equipment and technology enhancements. Substations serve as the central point between our electric superhighways and distribution lines to deliver power to customers’ homes and businesses.
- Thousands of customer interruptions prevented each year, with benefits growing over time.
- Modeling shows our planned investments in hardening, automation, and resilience will reduce outage minutes by nearly 40% (based on an all-in, 10-year rolling average) — savings that translate into more comfort, safety, and fewer disruptions for your household.
- Altogether, the value of avoided storm damage and outage impacts to customers is projected at more than $300 million per year in saved costs and improved service.
What it means for our communities
These upgrades honor a legacy of work we’ve already done to keep service dependable. We’re not starting from scratch — we’re doing more than ever to strengthen our system.
That means peace of mind for families at home, for schools and hospitals that serve others every day, and for businesses that rely on consistent power to keep moving forward.
With each additional investment, we’re making our system more resilient — ready to better perform on the brightest days and through the toughest storms.
