Your Energy Matters

Mill Creek ERTs Greg Parrish and Joey Taylor train for high-angle rope rescue. The group conducts and attends monthly training sessions as part of their ERT responsibilities.

Line technicians Chris Head (foreground) and Ron Hudson (background) use their ruggedized laptop to access the new mobile technology software.

•  Expediting communication between field crews and dispatchers
• Reducing opportunity for errors and incomplete information
• Cutting down the amount of time that passes before decisions can be made on how to best repair and restore service.

• A new state-of-the-art customer information system, including an online outage map, online outage reporting, a smartphone application and web-based options
• Programs to inspect/treat/replace utility poles, remove hazardous trees, and identify circuits needing improvements
• A project to improve a portion of the downtown underground network

Visit our Facebook and Twitter pages to learn more about National Preparedness Month.

And, check out the attached video of the devastation caused by the wind storm and our swift response:

Today marks the 39th anniversary of the 1974 tornado outbreak which tore through a wide swath of the nation's mid-section.

Kentucky saw a tremendous amount of damage from the twisters. In Louisville, more than 84,000 customers lost power. In our KU service area, transmission lines were severed at 32 points. LG&E and KU crews ventured into the chaos to restore power. Here's a look back at some of the damage to our system:



Tornado aftermath: this photo was taken on Bardstown Rd, just south of Eastern Parkway.



Our internal employee publication at the time provided a look at the damage to one of our substations on Frankfort Avenue.

The anniversary of one of the worst severe weather outbreaks to hit Kentucky is a good reminder to be prepared for emergency situations. Visit ready.gov for information on how to build an emergency kit and make a plan for your family. You can also check out our website for important safety information and to access our online outage map and download our free outage map app for iPads and smarthphones.

Until next time, be safe and keep using energy wisely. 

Even though the temperature insists otherwise, today is the first day of spring, and a perfect time to prepare for severe weather events that come with the change in season.

We take steps year-round to prepare for inclement weather, and offer you the following tips and suggestions to plan ahead, stay informed and be safe during storm events:

1. Plan ahead: Visit www.ready.gov to make a plan and learn how to build an emergency supply kit, which should include items such as prescription medicines, weather radio, important phone numbers, a first aid kit, flashlights and extra batteries, to name a few.

Before severe weather strikes, we prepare by monitoring weather conditions, placing field crews and contact centers on alert and readying operating equipment and material.

Throughout the year, we make infrastructure investments and perform regular system maintenance such as tree trimming and hazardous tree removals to enhance system reliability.

2. Stay informed: During outage situations, system and restoration updates are provided through our automated phone system, online outage map and outage map app. At the beginning of a widespread restoration event, our crews must first assess damage to the electric system before repairs can be prioritized.

Keeping customers informed of the companies’ progress is an essential part of our emergency response plan, and in times of widespread power outages, general restoration information and safety tips are provided on our Facebook page, Twitter feed and on this blog.

3. Be safe: Always assume any downed wire is an energized power line. Stay away and report it immediately. LG&E customers should call 502-589-3500; KU customers should call 1-800-981-0600. Visit www.lge-ku.com/storm for important safety information concerning portable generators, food storage and electric service.

A step-by-step guide to power restoration

In responding to major power outages across our service territory, a priority is given to critical-care organizations, such as hospitals, fire and police stations and nursing homes. At the same time, our crews focus on restoring service to schools, airports and other utility infrastructure, like water and sewer pumping stations.

We must repair any critical infrastructure that might be damaged, like the transmission lines and substations that carry electricity into neighborhoods and commercial areas, before power can be restored to those locations.

The goal is to fix a problem that will restore power to large groups of customers simultaneously, so hundreds or even thousands of customers come back online with one repair job.

Our crews then move on to where they can get neighborhoods restored and continue until they address problems that affect power to individual streets and homes.

Customers who experience a power outage should report it to the company by either using our online outage reporting system or by calling LG&E at 502-589-3500 or KU at 1-800-981-0600.

While every storm is unique and presents distinct challenges to utility crews, we remain committed to restoring power safely and as quickly as possible and keeping customers informed every step of the way.

Be safe!  

If you’re like most people, the circumstances of your life require that you look ahead and plan for your future, particularly for the unexpected.

But — like most people, too — it’s often difficult to do this because day-to-day obligations take top priority and demand your immediate attention.

Wouldn’t it be great if a particular time of year could be dedicated to such planning? Since September is National Preparedness Month, it offers the perfect opportunity to plan for emergencies.

Say a tornado hits the area. Power lines are down. Your phone doesn’t work. Your water may not be safe to drink. What do you do? In the words of www.ready.gov, “Build a kit. Make a plan. Be informed."

Build a kit

Have enough supplies on hand to last you three days or more. Food, water, a flashlight, batteries, first-aid kit and other basic emergency items should make up your kit. For ideas on how to create your own kit, or purchase a ready-made kit, visit http://www.ready.gov/.

Make a plan

When disaster strikes, it may happen while you’re at work, your spouse is out of town and your kids are at school. So, how do you connect? Make a plan. Decide how you will get in touch with each other, reconnect and what steps to take in the meantime.

Be informed

Do research in advance. Collect phone numbers and website information of government agencies, emergency responders and other community contacts that can help during an emergency. Do the information gathering on the front-end to make sure you are better prepared when disaster strikes.

Check out this short video to learn more about emergency preparedness:



At LG&E and KU, our employees are often among the first responders after a natural disaster.

We always encourage our customers to be prepared for an emergency situation and put safety first.

This September, consider developing an emergency plan with your family, or if you already have one, go through a drill to test your preparedness.

For more information, visit http://www.ready.gov/.

Tomorrow morning (Tuesday, February 7) at 10:15 a.m. (CST), Kentucky will pretend to experience a major earthquake that has the potential to cause extensive damage across the Commonwealth and disrupt the lives of more than 40 million people living in the Central U.S.

The drill is part of the annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, and at LG&E and KU, our emergency preparedness is ready to roll. The ShakeOut is our chance to practice together how to protect ourselves, and for everyone to become prepared. The goal is to save lives and prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.

Our operations are part of the more than 2.2 million people that are estimated to take part in tomorrow's drill, and we want you and your family to get involved, too.

To get shakin’, visit the organization’s website and pledge your family, school, business, or organization’s participation in the drill.

You’ll then receive information on how to plan your drill, what items you should include in an emergency kit, and how to create a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness.

Then, for two minutes tomorrow, starting at 10:15 a.m. (CST), prepare to “Drop, Cover and Hold On.”

Opportunities like this are good reminders that Kentucky is in earthquake country.

Specifically, we’re located in the New Madrid Fault Zone, which, according to the United States Geological Survey, has an active and violent history.

Although tomorrow’s drill is an important one-day affair for earthquake preparedness, LG&E and KU plan and practice year-round for all kinds of natural disasters.

Our comprehensive emergency-response plan ensures that employees and equipment are ready for whatever Mother Nature brings.

For instance, we have a detailed plan in place to activate employees directly involved with restoration quickly and decisively in response to major events.

The plan also enables us to mobilize hundreds of other employees who train outside their normal jobs for emergency-specific duties in support of restoration efforts.

And, we’re here 24/7, 365 days a year to respond to any emergency you might have with your electric or natural gas service.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with important safety and outage information on our website.

While it’s impossible to out-engineer Mother Nature and predict exactly when inclement weather or disasters will strike, we all can certainly be more prepared to deal with the consequences of the many events she can produce.

Until next time, keep using energy safely and wisely.

And, get ready to roll tomorrow.

Although the temps outside today don't reflect it, we're entering the heart of winter and now is the time to ensure you and your family are prepared for winter storms.

Our friends at the American Red Cross have put together an informative one-page checklist that covers what you should do before, during and after a winter storm. In our part of the country, it's not a matter of if, but when, the next bout of harsh winter weather will hit.

Keeping an emergency kit handy and making preparations early can lessen the anxiety when inclement weather hits.

Additionally, you'll want to visit our storm page for important phone numbers and safety information.

Once there, you can view our online outage map for near real-time restoration updates. If you're a smart phone user, download our free mobile outage map app to get a high-level overview of outages across our service territory, a summary of outages by zip code and county, and estimated restoration times -- right from the palm of your hand.

Here at LG&E and KU, when Mother Nature delivers her worst, our employees and business partners deliver their best. Internal processes developed over the years by our team enable us to cope with all types of weather events, and efficiently prepare and respond to them as quickly and as safely as we can.

In the meantime, check back to this blog and follow us on Twitter for important updates when inclement weather strikes.

From our family to yours, we wish you a safe and prosperous 2012.