​NEWARK, Del. (Feb. 21, 2022) — Delmarva Power customers across Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland continue to experience some of the lowest frequencies of electric outages compared to previous years, a result of the company's ongoing efforts to modernize and upgrade the local energy grid against increasingly severe weather.

• For the second year in a row, Delmarva Power's 208,000 customers in Maryland experienced the lowest frequency of electric outages, on average, in the company's history. The average number of outages in Maryland decreased from the previous low, set in 2020, by 6 percent. Even when service was interrupted, crews were able to safely restore service in a best ever 80 minutes, on average, in 2021.
• Delmarva Power's 324,000 electric customers in Delaware continued to experience lower frequencies of electric outages, on average, than just 10 years ago. The average number of outages in Delaware in 2021 was almost 41 percent lower than in 2011. Even when service was interrupted, crews were able to safely restore service in a record 75 minutes, on average, in 2021.

As severe weather events become more frequent due to climate change, more renewable energy such as solar comes on the grid, and more people begin to drive electric vehicles, utilities, like Delmarva Power, must continue to invest in the grid to help ensure customers continue to enjoy reliable energy service and to attract businesses, investment and clean energy jobs to the region.

"We are committed more than ever to providing the best possible service for our customers," said Tamla Olivier, senior vice president & COO of Pepco Holdings, which includes Delmarva Power. "This continued improvement in our reliability performance is a testament to the ongoing work and dedication of our employees year-over-year to provide our customers safe and reliable energy service. We will continue modernizing the energy grid across our entire service area through strategic infrastructure upgrades that will help harden the system against severe weather and will further the development and interconnection of clean energy resources."

Each day, Delmarva Power performs work across Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland as part of the company's ongoing efforts to further improve reliability for customers. This work includes inspecting existing infrastructure, trimming trees that could impact the system, building new substations and new underground equipment, strengthening transmission and distribution lines, and installing stronger, tree-resistant aerial cable. Delmarva Power also installs innovative technologies to improve system reliability, such as specialized equipment, like smart switches and reclosers, that can automatically detect issues and restore service faster by automatically isolating damage. These technologies have been a major driver in the continued reduction in outages for customers.

In August 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report  that outlined the widespread, rapid and intensifying impacts of the climate crisis due to fossil-fuel emissions. The report called out the need for the electric grid to be more resilient because it is often the last line of defense for residents and businesses.

On the local energy grid, Delmarva Power completed several key projects in recent years, helping modernize the grid and enhance reliability for customers. In 2021, Delmarva Power performed work on several projects to further improve service reliability. These projects include:

• Chestertown Substation Reliability Project – Involves the modernization of an existing substation to meet the region's current and future energy needs. The project will improve the quality of energy service for local customers by reducing the number of outages in the area and allowing the company to restore service faster.
• East New Market to Cambridge Transmission Line Upgrade – A major modernization project that includes rebuilding 11 miles of existing transmission line to strengthen the local energy grid and enhance service reliability for more than 13,600 local customers in Dorchester County.

In 2022, Delmarva Power is performing work on numerous other major projects as part of the company's ongoing efforts to modernize the local energy grid. Some of these projects include:
Church to Massey Reliability Project – Modernizing the local energy grid in Kent County to strengthen the local energy infrastructure and improve reliability for nearly 19,000 local customers, reducing the frequency and duration of outages in the area. 

• Elk Neck Battery Storage Pilot Program – Installing a network of residential battery storage systems that provide backup power for participating customers in case of a power outage and to support the local energy grid during peak demand.
• Ocean City Battery Storage Pilot Program – Installing a battery storage system that will improve the reliability and quality of energy service for thousands of customers and seasonal visitors in Ocean City, Md., during times when customer demand for energy is at its highest.

For more information on reliability enhancement projects across Delaware and Maryland, visit delmarva.com/Reliability.