WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | PSC issues report on Kentucky's largest power outage
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By Maira Ansari - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Two major events from Mother Nature left Kentuckiana in a mess. 769,000 people lost power and the two storms left behind over a billion dollars in damages. The September 2008 wind storm and the January 2009 ice storm caused the two largest power outages in Kentucky history and the Kentucky Public Service Commission says everyone can learn from the storms.
“Like most houses on this street or in this neighborhood they have been around for a while,” said Guy Sizemore. “Sometimes you can hear the wind coming through the windows.”
Sizemore says he and his dogs could feel the wind too when his Highlands home was without power for nearly two weeks during the windstorm last year.
“They cuddled up. We have a lot of blankets,” said Sizemore. “This place turned into a halfway home. People were coming we rented a generator. Living without amenities you are used to. You get to talk a lot.”
Being without electricity again is something Sizemore says he doesn't want to relive. The Kentucky Public Service Commission says everyone, including utilities, government organizations, and individuals, can learn from last year's wind storm and the January ice storm.
The commission outlined 64 findings and recommendations. The report says utilities should do a better job of telling their customers the locations of outages and the progress being made to restore power. They also said the possibility of underground power lines needs further study.
According to the commission, local governments and organizations should continue to participate in emergency exercises. The PSC says individuals should be prepared for severe weather and know how to properly use a generator.
E.ON U.S. says it's looking into the report and has made changes.
“We have static maps on our website last year and we've already started the process of automating those so customers can see on real time what their outages are like,” said Chris Whalen of E.ON U.S.
The PSC is giving utilities till March 1, 2010 to respond to this report.
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