Baltimore – BGE today announced that it continues to make significant progress, restoring electric service to more than 90 percent of customers following Hurricane Sandy. BGE estimates that the vast majority of customers will have power restored by Friday night, with some scattered customer outages involving smaller numbers of customers and/or significant system damage extending into the weekend.
“We understand the frustration that mounts with each passing day without power, and how important an estimated time of restoration is for those who need to plan and prepare,” said Jeannette M. Mills, vice president and chief customer officer for BGE. “While the complex nature of the remaining repairs makes it extremely difficult for us to pinpoint when we will have each of our customers back in service, BGE is making every possible effort to provide customers with restoration estimates in the limited instances where the company has identified the problem and has high confidence that repairs can be completed within a certain timeframe. Customers are reminded that these are the company’s best estimates but may change as restoration efforts continue and specific outage causes are analyzed.”
BGE has more than 5,500 employees, contractors and out-of-state linemen, tree personnel and support staff committed to restoring service as quickly and safely as possible, including nearly 1,900 out of a requested 3,000 out-of-state and contract linemen, tree personnel and support staff from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. BGE’s sister utility, ComEd, an Exelon company based in Chicago, is also providing support to the company’s preparation and restoration efforts. To learn more about where our crews will be and when, customers are encouraged to visit bge.com <http://www.bge.com/customerservice/stormsoutages/stormcenter/pages/default.aspx> to review a list of areas <http://www.bge.com/customerservice/stormsoutages/stormcenter/pages/crew-work-locations2.aspx> where crews will be working throughout the day. Please be aware that this is not a fully inclusive list.
Even while crews work diligently to restore power, customer and employee safety remains the company’s top priority. BGE urges those observing Halloween trick-or-treating to be particularly careful, especially as it relates to numerous remaining downed wires and other hazards. BGE has safety standby personnel safeguarding many downed wires, but understand that not all downed wires are reported or known, and some additional lines may continue to fall. Always assume all wires are energized and dangerous. Those planning to trick or treat are encouraged to plan a route in advance while it is light to make sure there are no downed wires. Additionally, children should be accompanied by adults and limit activity after dark. Those out in limited light or darkness should wear bright, reflective clothing and carry flashlights.
Customers are reminded to stay away from downed wires and never touch or try to move a wire of any type, as well as be observant for caution tape, safety cones, rope or other equipment that may be blocking a downed wire or other hazard. Never attempt to cross a taped or guarded area, and obey the instructions of public safety officials who may be safeguarding an area. Customers are urged to report downed wires, as well as power outages, by calling 1.877.778.2222.
BGE’s approach to service restoration is in line with industry standards, and focuses first on public safety and critical infrastructure issues, followed by work that will restore the largest number of customers at once, factoring in customers who have been without power the longest. BGE’s balanced approach to service restoration ensures crews are working simultaneously in every jurisdiction where BGE has customers. As part of BGE’s standard process during major events, the company is in regular communication with state and local public and elected officials and emergency operations centers, helping to ensure a coordinated effort between the jurisdictions and the utility. BGE appreciates the assistance and cooperation of these officials and organizations.
Customers should visit BGE’s online Storm Center <http://www.bge.com/customerservice/stormsoutages/stormcenter/pages/default.aspx> for important information on how to stay safe before, during and after a storm, including important safety tips on flooding <http://www.bge.com/customerservice/stormsoutages/currentoutages/pages/gas-outages.aspx> .
As a reminder, BGE customers who may be elderly, handicapped or dependent on electricity for medical equipment, should always have alternate arrangements in place should they experience an extended power outage. Customers are also reminded to obey Maryland’s new traffic law that went into effect Oct. 1, which states that all drivers must make a complete stop when approaching a non-functional traffic light before entering any crosswalk or before entering the intersection. Restoration updates can also be found on BGE’s social media sites Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/myBGE> and Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=114351251909317#!/pages/Baltimore-MD/MyBGE/114351251909317> .
BGE <http://www.bge.com/Pages/default.aspx> , headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,400 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider with approximately $33 billion in annual revenues. Like us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/myBGE> and follow us on Twitter <http://twitter.com/mybge> , YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/baltimoregaselectric> and Flickr <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mybge> .