Oklahoma Gas and Electric issued a weather statement over the weekend, saying it is closely watching the arrival of extreme cold weather and snow in the state.
OG&E’s power generation fleet is operating to support its service area as teams continue to closely monitor any potential weather impact from the very cold temperatures and winter precipitation expected in the coming days. At this time, all available units are generating electricity, and OG&E does not expect widespread outages.
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) declared a period of Conservative Operations across its entire footprint effective from 4 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14 through 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16 due to cold temperatures and low wind generation availability during this window.
The Conservative Operations declaration is a precautionary measure notifying all member utilities across the 14-state region that they should make all necessary generating resources available to meet the high demand anticipated across the region. OG&E’s service area has seen similar advisories from the SPP during the winter of 2022, as well as last summer when temperatures soared with no impact to our power grid.
There is no direct action for OG&E customers at this time, and SPP does not currently anticipate the need to request public energy conservation efforts. We will communicate directly with customers should any request for customers to conserve energy be necessary.
We know our customers have questions about how OG&E has prepared for winter weather this year.
- Each year, we prepare our power plants for winter by the end of October. The work we do includes building temporary enclosures around critical equipment and testing freeze-protection circuits, among other tasks that protect power plants and our people from extreme cold and winter weather.
- We also have made sure to have fuel on hand or available to purchase, if needed, to generate electricity throughout this weather event and beyond. We’ve increased our natural gas storage to help support our natural gas power plants, and coal inventories are at full levels at all of our coal power plants. All available units at OG&E’s power plants are operating and ready to support the grid during this cold snap and for the rest of the winter.
Energy Conservation
The current SPP advisories do NOT include a request for the public to conserve power at this time. However, there are actions customers can take to manage their energy usage which can help reduce stress on the regional power grid, including:
- Setting thermostats lower than usual, if your health permits
- Open drapes and blinds during the day to allow sunlight to warm the home and close them at night to preserve warmth
- Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional oven when possible
- Air-dry your dishes
- Avoid using major electric appliances
- Turn off lights and appliances that you are not using
- Unplug small appliances, phone chargers, gaming systems, etc. when not in use
Winter Weather Safety Recommendations
OG&E recommends that all customers have a safety plan in the event of an outage during extreme winter weather.
- Stay weather aware.
- Check road conditions in your area before traveling.
- Have your emergency kit stocked and readily available in your vehicle.
- Make sure all your devices are fully charged.
- Stay informed. Use wind chill temperatures to guide you in dressing properly for the outdoors. On very cold days, minimize your exposure to the outdoors if possible.
- If you have an elderly or homebound loved one or neighbor, build a support network who can assist in an emergency.
- Know your options if you or a loved one have a life-threatening condition and need electricity to power a medical device. Include pets and their needs in your plan.
- Portable electric generators should always be operated outdoors and according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Never connect your generator to your home’s main electrical panel. Plug appliances directly into the portable generator or have it properly attached to your home’s wiring by a qualified electrician.