Worst Storm in PECO History

Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Updated

Worst Storm in PECO History

PECO Crews Respond to Unprecedented Damage

Service Restored to More than 350,000 Customers


490,000 customers without power

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hurricane Sandy is causing wide-spread damage along the East Coast and locally caused power interruptions to more than 850,000 PECO customers - making Sandy the most damaging storm in company history. PECO has restored service to more than 350,000 customers by Tuesday afternoon.

More than 3,000 employees and contractors are working around-the-clock to repair this unprecedented damage and restore service to customers. Contractors and workers from utilities as far away as Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and PECO's Chicago-based sister utility ComEd continue to work along side PECO crews on this historic effort.

The company expects work could take up to a week to complete. This massive restoration effort will continue 24/7, non-stop, until service can safely be restored to all of our customers. During that time we urge customers to stay safe and are extremely thankful to our local emergency responders who are working tirelessly for all of us.

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, 490,000 customers are without service at this time. Specifically:

  • Bucks County = 180,000

  • Chester County = 45,000

  • Delaware County = 50,000

  • Montgomery County = 145,000

  • Philadelphia County = 65,000

  • York County = 1,000

PECO urges customers to stay safe! Stay away from downed wires, damaged electric equipment and tree limbs or branches contacting electrical equipment. Always assume PECO's equipment is energized - even if there is an outage in your neighborhood. Report these dangerous conditions to PECO immediately.

Customers experiencing a power outage are reminded to:

  • Contact the company at 1-800-841-4141. The more customers who call to report an outage, the more effectively PECO can dispatch crews and restore service.

  • Turn off and unplug appliances and other devices to prevent possible damage. Remember to keep one light on so you will know when service has been restored.

  • Customers with generators should never connect them directly to home wiring or plug them into household outlets. Generators connected to home wiring can "backfeed" into PECO's electric delivery system, risking serious injury or death to PECO crews. Generators should always be placed outside to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYS: EXC) .PECO serves 1.6 million electric and 494,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region.PECO delivered 82.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 38.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2011.Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

If you are a member of the media and would like to receive PECO news releases via e-mail please send your e-mail address toPECO.Communication@exeloncorp.com



PECO
Liz Williamson, Communications
215-841-5555

KEYWORDS: United States North America Pennsylvania

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

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