July 10, 2024

Duke Energy Bolsters Grid Resilience Ahead of 2024 Hurricane Season

Proactive measures increase the resilience of the grid ahead of the 2024 hurricane season.

 

Image for illustration purposes.

GDuke Energy’s grid enhancement efforts focus on several key areas:

Vegetation Management
The company has invested heavily in vegetation management, aggressively trimming and removing trees and other vegetation that could potentially interfere with power lines during high winds and storms. This proactive approach helps reduce the risk of outages caused by fallen branches or uprooted trees.

Strengthening Infrastructure
Duke Energy has undertaken a comprehensive program to reinforce its electrical infrastructure, including upgrading and hardening power lines, poles, and other critical components. This involves using more resilient materials and implementing design improvements to withstand the impact of hurricanes and other severe weather events.

Automated Restoration Systems
The utility has deployed advanced automated systems that can rapidly detect and isolate power outages, allowing for quicker restoration of service. These systems leverage smart grid technologies to pinpoint the location of outages and reroute power around affected areas, minimizing the duration of customer interruptions.

Coordination with Emergency Responders
Duke Energy has established strong partnerships with local emergency management agencies and first responders. This collaboration ensures seamless coordination during disaster response efforts, enabling the utility to prioritize restoration activities and provide timely updates to customers.

Customer Communication and Preparedness
Recognizing the importance of customer awareness and preparedness, Duke Energy has launched extensive public education campaigns. These efforts inform customers about emergency preparedness, provide guidance on storm safety, and offer resources to help them stay connected and informed during power outages.

By implementing these comprehensive measures, Duke Energy aims to enhance the resilience of its power grid and better protect its customers from the impacts of hurricanes and other extreme weather events. This proactive approach demonstrates the utility’s commitment to delivering reliable and uninterrupted electricity.

Source: T&D World