AMARILLO, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) — The following is a news release from Xcel Energy:
Spring has made a comeback on the plains of Texas and New Mexico, bringing with it severe weather than can threaten our safety and the flow of electricity.
Throughout the recent weeks of social distancing, Xcel Energy has continued working to build and
strengthen the transmission and distribution networks that deliver electricity to area homes and
businesses. But when high winds and lightning cause interruptions in service, the company is ready to respond to customer needs through a variety of communication offerings.
“Our system is more resilient than ever before thanks to investments in new and improved power lines and substations, but storms can still cause outages,” said Brad Baldridge, director of Customer and Community Relations for Xcel Energy in New Mexico and Texas. “We are prepared to respond quickly and keep customers informed with the latest information on outages in their area.” Xcel Energy provides customers several ways to communicate with the company during outage events.
The “My Account” feature at xcelenergy.com includes an outage map that shows where outages are occurring, how many customers are affected and when power is expected to be restored. Customers may also report outages online and sign up to receive email, text or voice message updates on power restoration times. These same features are also included on the free Xcel Energy app that can be downloaded from Apple Store or Google Play. The app also shows past electric use information and provides a secure payment portal.
“Our customers want convenient ways to communicate with us, and they like the freedom of servicing their accounts from anywhere,” Baldridge said. “Our electronic customer service tools have improved the customer experience significantly, and we hope to make these features better every year.”
Customers may also call an Xcel Energy customer agent at 1-800-895-1999 to report outages or downed lines.
While most outages are restored within a couple of hours, extreme weather events can disrupt service for extended periods. Though these events are uncommon, customers should still stockpile nonperishable food items and bottled water and check flashlight batteries ahead of time.
Outages caused by spring storms can also present hazards to Xcel Energy employees and the public.
Customers should always assume an electric line, even one that is on or near the ground, is energized and therefore dangerous. Customers should never touch or move a downed power line.
Xcel Energy crews are prepared to deal with the worst types of storm damage and outage situations. The company routinely stages employees and supplies in key locations ahead of storms when possible, and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in upgraded power systems to improve reliability and provide more options to reroute power on the expanded network.
In the event of widespread outages caused by storms, Xcel Energy crews will prioritize efforts on large feeder lines in order to restore the largest numbers possible at once, then move to restore tap lines, transformers and individual service lines. More information on storm restoration can be found at this link at xcelenergy.com.
“Safety is our core value, and once we’ve established a safe zone in which to operate, we can move very quickly to restore power,” Baldridge said.
About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
(News release from Xcel Energy)
