Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission launches review after last month's severe storms
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will undertake a post-storm review following last month's deadly storms that severed electric service to more than 500,000 customers across the southwestern Pennsylvania region.
Led by the Commission's Bureau of Technical Utility Services, the review will "examine how utilities responded to this significant event, assess the impact of the storm on infrastructure and operations, and identify opportunities to improve planning and resilience for future storms," according to a news release from the PUC.
"This was not a routine weather event," said PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank. "The intensity and scale of the damage - impacting electric systems, roads, communications networks, and other infrastructure - demand a closer look. As we continue to recover, we also need to understand what happened, what worked, what didn't, and what can be done better moving forward."
The review will explore storm-related issues involving Duquesne Light and FirstEnergy utilities.
Officials will examine issues like outage causes, review the efficacy of utility emergency response plans, and provide recommendations that utilities, communities, residents, and businesses can take to better prepare for future extreme weather.
"Our goal is to evaluate every storm to learn, adapt, and strengthen Pennsylvania's utility systems," said PUC Vice Chair Kimberly Barrow. "It is important to study how storm intensity, patterns, and impacts are changing so that we can better prepare and protect our communities."
According to Commission records, Duquesne Light has not experienced storm-related outages of this magnitude since at least 1993.
"The strength of our utility network lies not just in how we respond to today's challenges, but in how we prepare for tomorrow's," Chairman DeFrank added. "We regularly examine the impact of major storms in Pennsylvania because every emergency situation is a learning opportunity - and we are committed to turning those lessons into action."
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