​Company encourages customers to prepare for summer storms

NEWARK, Del. (June 6, 2023) — Summer is quickly approaching, and Delmarva Power has been performing essential work to ready the local energy grid against severe weather and increased customer demand. Delmarva Power crews continue to perform essential maintenance and upgrades that further enhances service reliability and makes the local energy grid more resilient to power the company's 541,000 electric customers in Delaware and Maryland and 138,000 natural gas customers in northern Delaware. This hard works helps to harden Delmarva Power's energy infrastructure against the growing impact of summer severe weather and hurricanes.

"Our commitment to provide reliable energy is proven everyday by our dedicated 1,800 employees working to protect the local energy grid against increasingly severe weather events and prepare for increased customer demand," said Tamla Olivier, senior vice president and COO for Pepco Holdings, which includes Delmarva Power. "We take our responsibility to keep homes and business powered seriously. The work we are doing is not only making the grid more reliable and more resilient, but is creating the pathway to cleaner energy options for our customers."

Several major projects are underway to enhance grid reliability and resiliency, including:

• Church to Massey Reliability Project – Rebuilding a 10-mile transmission line that will improve service reliability for nearly 19,000 customers in Kent and Queen Anne's counties in Maryland.
• Carrcroft to Silverside Reliability Project – Part of our broader strategic effort to strengthen and modernize the energy grid across our service area. The project includes rebuilding more than 1.4 miles of existing transmission line with new state-of-the-art steel poles and modern equipment. These more reliable structures are designed to withstand severe weather conditions and will enhance service reliability to more than 6,000 customers in New Castle County. 
• Vienna to West Cambridge Reliability Project – 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, Maryland.
  

Delmarva Power's efforts to reinforce the local energy grid and add new technology has helped strengthen service reliability. Delmarva Power electric customers in the Delaware experienced the lowest frequency of electric outages ever in 2022, with a more than seven percent decrease in the frequency of outages since the previous low set in 2018. Delmarva Power customers in Maryland experienced the best-ever reliability again for frequency of electric outages, tying the record established in 2021.

Just as Delmarva Power prepares for the summer storm season, the company encourages its customers to be ready as well. Here are some tips:

• Download Delmarva Power's mobile app at delmarva.com/MobileApp. Customers can use the mobile app to report outages, view estimated restoration times and more.
• Sign up for emergency alerts that provide outage updates and severe weather alerts by going to delmarva.com/Alerts.
• Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include battery-powered radio, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, medications, multi-purpose tool, and list of important/emergency phone numbers.
• Have a supply of bottled water and easy-to-prepare, non-perishable foods available to last at least 72 hours.
• Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.
• Identify an alternate location for you and/or your family in case of an extended outage.
• It's extremely important to review the manufacturer's instructions for safe operations of your generator. Do not connect a generator directly to your home's wiring, and never use a generator indoors or any enclosed area.
  

Being prepared is a responsibility everyone should take seriously. If a severe storm hits, monitor local weather reports regularly and follow the advice of local emergency management officials. Residents should stay away from downed wires and immediately report a downed wire or service issue by calling 800-898-8042, visiting delmarva.com or through the company's mobile app. If you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately and then call 302-454-0317. Customers can also report an outage by texting "OUT" to 67972. Customers must first text "ADD OUTAGE" to 67972 to sign up for this service.

To learn more about Delmarva Power, visit The Source, Delmarva Power's online newsroom. Find additional information by visiting delmarva.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/DelmarvaPower and on Twitter at twitter.com/DelmarvaConnect. Delmarva Power's mobile app is available at delmarva.com/MobileApp.