Entergy Arkansas Preps for Winter Storm

02/14/2015

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Julie Munsell||

Utility requests 500 additional workers to support in storm response

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Entergy Arkansas, Inc. crews are standing by, prepared to take immediate action should a forecasted winter storm Sunday night cause damage to the electrical system.

Forecasts call for up to 3/8-inch accumulation of ice. Depending on whether the ice sticks to trees and power lines, 3/8-inch is the amount at which damage to the electrical system becomes likely. Colder weather and more moisture than predicted would make things worse.

Entergy workers have laid in supplies, topped off fuel tanks and, in some cases, packed to be on the road for several days.

In addition to the Entergy Arkansas linemen, base load contractors and support staff, the company has requested 500 workers from sister companies and contractors to arrive in Arkansas Sunday evening. The degree to which that extra help will be deployed will be determined as the extent of the threat of the storm becomes clearer.

“We hope there aren’t any outages, but if there are, the plan is to have more than 1,000 workers mobilized and ready to respond,” said Brady Aldy, vice president of customer service for Entergy Arkansas. “If we experience a lot of damage, fortunately, we have a great deal of experience restoring power as safely and quickly as possible, and we want to assure everyone that we will do just that.”

Where to get info

Customers are encouraged to download Entergy’s mobile app at http://entergyapp.com/ to access outage maps and information. In addition, storm-preparedness tips and online services are available to customers through “Entergy Storm Center,” “myAccount” and “View Outages.” Through myAccount, customers can sign up to send and receive text information about power outages at their homes and businesses through their cell phones. Registration is easy.

Safety

Please be mindful of the following:

Live wires can be deadly. Stay away from downed power lines. Call 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) to report downed or dangling power lines, poles or other damaged equipment.

Don’t trim trees or remove debris on or near downed power lines. Only power company crews or their contractors should remove trees or limbs touching power lines.

Keep away from the immediate areas where crews are working. There is always the danger of moving equipment and the possibility of construction materials or limbs or overhead wires falling to the ground.

If you plan on using a generator for temporary power, get a licensed electrician and disconnect from the utility electric system before hooking up to your home main electric panel.

Do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation.

Don’t use candles or other flammable devices to warm your home.

Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.

Try to stay off the roads. More traffic in bad weather leads to more accidents, including more injuries and fatalities as well as accidents that can damage electrical poles and other equipment, creating outages and impeding crews’ ability to access and repair damage and slowing restoration.

Stay Comfy, Save Money

Entergy Arkansas offers these tips to help our customers battle winter’s chill while still keeping a lid on energy bills:

Adjust the thermostat. During winter months, grab a sweater or a blanket to stay toasty, and set the thermostat to 68 degrees. Every degree higher can add 3 percent to your bill.
Conserve hot water. Wrap your electric water heater with a water heater blanket, and set the thermostat to 120 degrees or medium.
Replace air and furnace filters every 30 days or as required by the type of filter.
When you change your light bulbs, replace them with energy-efficient models. Entergy recommends Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs that use 70 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Seal air leaks. Install weather stripping around doors, windows and any location where there may be a path between the inside and outside of your home.

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 700,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $12 billion and approximately 13,000 employees.

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More information is available on Entergy’s website at entergy-arkansas.com

@entergyark