Utilities preparing for another Sandy

October 25, 2013 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

A year after Superstorm Sandy ravaged and devastated the Mid-Atlantic, utilities like Con Edison and PPL Electric Utilities are making improvements to the reliability of critical infrastructure and protect customers from major storms.

Superstorm Sandy left more than 1 million Con Edison customers in the dark. After the waters receded, thousands of underground vaults needed to be pumped out, inspected, and repaired before power could be restored. Credit: Con Edison

With damaging weather becoming more frequent, Con Edison is toughening its system as part of a $1 billion plan to fortify critical infrastructure and has already completed several improvements. Con Edison has built more than a mile of concrete flood walls around stations and critical equipment, and installed more than 180 watertight flood doors and barriers, as well as installing 800 special float-check valves to protect gas services from floods.

Further, Con Edison has added, installed or replaced nearly 2,000 overhead isolation devices to reduce customer outages; 38 smart switches to isolate damaged equipment and decrease outages; 60 pieces of non-submersible equipment with submersible equipment in flood zones; more than 100 flood pumps; and 3,000 expansive foam seals in conduits.

Continued system-wide summer improvements include the installation of 31 network transformers, six new feeders, 207 overhead transformers, and reinforcement of 46 feeders by upgrading 350 sections of cable. Con Edison is also in the process of redesigning lower Manhattan networks to de-energize customers in flood zones and keep customers on higher ground with power.

PPL is also investing nearly $1 billion this year to harden its system and reduce outages from storms, as part of a $3.8 billion five-year investment plan.

In order to prevent outages, reduce the length of outages and allow power to be restored faster, PPL is installing bigger, taller poles and thicker wires; clearing trees along thousands of miles of power lines; replacing aging lines, poles and substations; adding automation and smart grid technology; and installing more lightning protection and animal guards.

PPL has also refined mutual assistance plans to more efficiently direct help to customers affected by severe storms, and improved coordination with community leaders and government and emergency response agencies, as well as opening up more ways to communicate directly through social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

"Sandy still is fresh in our minds and our objective remains unchanged -- to continue to provide superior customer service and a safe and reliable system that is even less vulnerable to storms. The work we've done in recent years will provide benefits to our customers when severe weather strikes in the future," said Greg Dudkin, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "We are better prepared now than in any other time in our history. Though it's been relatively quiet this year from a storm perspective, we know Mother Nature will test us again. When she does, we're ready."

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