AEP Texas crews returned to normal business operations Sunday after implementing a proactive, comprehensive approach to preparing for high winds, extreme weather, and elevated fire risks over a period of days.
We would like to thank our customers for their patience as we took measures to maintain the safety of our customers during this time.
To enhance safety during the weather event, we disabled automatic reclosing devices in potentially high-risk areas and required crews to patrol deenergized lines before reenergizing them, which may have caused delays in restoration for some customers. We felt this was the most prudent approach to restoring electric service during this weather event.
In addition, AEP Texas engaged in pre-event activities to prepare for the weather event. Those activities include the following:
- Patrolling lines to mitigate potential faults, including the use of drones. Patrols included critical circuits that could affect community safety.
- Splitting four-man crews into two-man crews to allow for increased presence across the service territory, providing better coverage and a faster response time to any potential outage or incident.
- Transmission and distribution groups adjusted work schedules to focus on patrolling, monitoring, and responding when needed.
AEP Texas communicated with local emergency management officials and external partners throughout the event.
“The safety of our customers and our communities is paramount in any event. This week’s warnings of serious wind activity and elevated fire risks demanded a nimble, rehearsed approach to mitigating risks and potential outages,” Mark Baker, Incident Command coordinator and Distribution Engineering director, said. “Our team was prepared, and we executed our plan efficiently and effectively. We also found ways to improve for the benefit of our customers. We are grateful to our customers for their trust during this process.”
For more information, please visit AEPTexas.com.