With winter storm warnings, watches and advisories issued for tomorrow in significant portions of the Ameren Illinois service territory, the company is preparing to meet the challenge of possible storm related service outages.
“Providing safe and reliable service is our priority every day of the year, but it takes on added significance when severe weather strikes,” said Ron Pate, vice president of operations and tech services for Ameren Illinois.
In preparation for tomorrow’s forecasted storms, Pate said Ameren Illinois is taking the following actions:
• Weather conditions are being monitored for any changes that may impact service.
• All Ameren Illinois and contractor personnel have been placed on alert.
• Trucks will be fueled and loaded with supplies this afternoon so they are ready for immediate deployment Thursday morning.
• If necessary, Ameren Illinois is prepared to deploy the special Ameren Illinois Storm Trailers. These trailers are filled with materials field crews need to perform their service restoration work. The trailers can be moved to various staging sites to provide materials when outside crews come in to help with the restoration efforts and to provide a store of materials close to the area with the most damage.
• Service restoration work will be directed by Ameren Illinois Emergency Operations Center.
“When severe storms cause power outages, our first priority is to correct potentially life-threatening situations, such as downed power lines or hospitals without power,” Pate said.
“We then implement power restoration plans focused on restoring service to the greatest number of customers in the shortest length of time.”
Customers who experience a power outage immediately should report it to Ameren Illinois by calling 1-800-755-5000 or by visiting IllinoisOutage.com. Customers with mobile devices can visit www.ameren.mobi.
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 813,000 natural gas customers in downstate Illinois, and our mission is to meet their energy needs in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. Our service area covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com.
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Editor’s Note: For the latest outage information, please visit IllinoisOutage.com. For up to date storm video and restoration footage, monitor our Twitter feed at twitter.com/AmerenIllinois.
CONTACT: Leigh Morris, 217.535.5228, lmorris@ameren.com; Stacey Stockton-Shangraw, 309-677-5073, sstockton-shangraw@ameren.com