PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- WHO: An estimated 50 million people affected WHAT: A cascading electric transmission disturbance, the first
WHERE: Eight U.S. states and Ontario, Canada
WHEN: A matter of seconds and hours, the afternoon of August 14
WHY: Marking the anniversary allows examination of what happened and why -- why PECO Energy customers were not affected, what the industry learned from the event, and what PECO has done since
Available For Interviews:
-- Sue Ivey, vice president; PECO Transmission Operations & Planning
-- Ellen Cavanaugh, vice president; PECO Transmission Strategies &
Business Operations
-- Denis O'Brien, president; PECO, An Exelon Company
BACKGROUND:
The August 14 blackout prompted PECO and its sister company Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), along with electric industry groups and utilities nationwide, to investigate the causes of the blackout event and develop meaningful actions that would ensure such an event could be prevented in the future.
As a result, the company completed 53 process improvements in time for peak summer season and identified dozens of longer-term initiatives to be completed through next year. Forty professionals worked for four months on a self-assessment of transmission operations, vegetation management and emergency response. Additionally, Exelon submitted a report on June 17 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that outlined PECO and ComEd's vegetation management standards, clearance and trimming guidelines. The report also included a detailed description of transmission facilities and survey results. In addition, the company supported an industry resolution for mandatory reliability standards and a comprehensive energy bill that would assure enforceable rules apply to all market participants and provide incentives for new investment in electric infrastructure.
Other suggested contacts for the media:
Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the association of investor- owned electric utilities North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) PJM Interconnection LLC, regional transmission operator for PECO and ComEd
Cathy Engel, Michael Wood
215-841-5555 SOURCE PECO Energy Company
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