Delmarva Power Customers Saw 24,000 Fewer Outages as Years of Grid Investments Strengthen Reliability

Smart grid technology helped prevent hundreds of thousands of additional outages as extreme
weather tested the region’s electric grid.

SALISBURY, MD

Delmarva Power customers experienced about 24,000 fewer power outages this summer over last summer and spent 1,667 fewer hours without power, despite record-breaking heat and severe storm activity battered the company’s Delaware and Maryland service area.

The company’s investments in the local energy grid were put to the test this summer, when record-breaking heat drove electricity demand higher and severe storms—including a September nor’easter brought damaging winds and downed trees across Delaware and Maryland.

That result did not happen by chance. They are the product of years of investment in building a stronger, smarter electric grid. Smart technologies are working behind the scenes every day to improve reliability. This summer alone, automated equipment known as reclosers prevented more than 212,000 customer outages, often restoring power or isolating damage before customers experienced an interruption. Smart meters also helped avoid approximately 750 unnecessary crew dispatches by remotely confirming when service had been restored, allowing crews to focus on customers who still needed help.

Delmarva Power’s reliability work includes proactive vegetation management, upgrades to transmission lines and related equipment, substation enhancements, and the installation of steel utility poles designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. Today, outages across Delmarva Power’s service area occur nearly 33 percent less often than they did a decade ago.

When storms do cause damage, trimming or removing fallen trees remains critical to restoration. Crews completed more than 320 assignments to clear vegetation throughout the summer season.

The system was tested early and often. Delaware and Maryland saw several days of record-breaking heat in July, termed a “Heat Dome” for the region. During the heat wave before the Fourth of July, temperatures reached more than 100 degrees in some parts of the state. In Wilmington, the temperature hit 103 degrees on July 2, tying the highest July temperature ever recorded. On the Eastern Shore, temperatures with the heat index reached into the triple digits on July 2 and 3. Demand for electricity climbs sharply on days like those, as air conditioners run harder and longer to keep homes and businesses comfortable.

The work does not stop with the season. As the fall season sets in and temperatures start to dip, Delmarva Power remains focused on ensuring its electric system is fully prepared to meet customers’ energy needs throughout the winter months ahead.