Oklahoma Gas and Electric has hundreds of employees on standby as the state is hit with the latest winter storm that could cause power supply issues due to ice accumulation.
The company announced Monday that it staged materials and equipment in Ardmore, Ada, Durant, Fort Smith and the Oklahoma City metro area. It also mobilized hundreds of restoration personnel on Sunday “so they would be in place before travel could become difficult.”
The utility said winds do not appear to be significant with the storm but the combination of freezing temperatures and precipitation could make travel difficult and potentially dangerous. Current weather models indicated the southern and eastern portions of OGE’s service area to be the most likely impacted which explains why the mobilization occurred in the named cities.
Following our Resource Startup Plan for this type of weather event, OGE said it identified reserve units in its generation fleet that may be powered for this event to supply electricity to the grid, if needed. In addition, winter preparations at power plants were completed in early November.
“We encourage our customers to have a safety plan for cold weather, including checking in on homebound and elderly neighbors and family. Make sure devices are charged, gas tanks are full and that you have blankets at the ready in vehicles. Find more severe weather preparation tips at OGE.com/stormprep,” according to the utility announcement.
A list of warming stations in the OG&E service area is available on OGE.com for customers who may need to find a safe and warm place during this winter weather.