Duke Energy prepares for widespread outages during winter storm

CHARLOTTE — Duke Energy is getting prepared for the possibility of widespread outages with the threat that ice could pull down power lines.

Duke Energy said the storm could be tricky because it is so widespread, and the keyword is “prepare.”

Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said its “goal is always to provide reliable service, and so we’ve got a lot of people right now working to prepare for this storm to think about next week and the demands on the system. We trim trees year-round to reduce the number and length of outages that we have. But we’ve also got crews out over the next few days doing hotspot trimming.”

One challenge the energy company is facing is how widespread this storm could be, which means they likely won’t shuffle crews around.

“We don’t want to move a crew from an area where we may see outages and then we experience those outages,” Brooks said.

Duke Energy representatives said they are preparing around the clock while they monitor the forecast. However, they said it’s not a question of if, but when and how much.

“I think this has the potential of being a very significant winter storm,” said Brooks.

Brooks said ice is the biggest culprit because it can bring down trees, which fall onto power lines.

It takes about six inches or more of snow before you start to see tree limbs coming down onto lines.

For ice, it only takes about a quarter of an inch.

Goetz also spoke with people trying to get their homes and families ready.

“I loaded up with groceries at Costco yesterday,” said resident Jessie Long.

People in Charlotte are already preparing for the potential winter storm.

“I’m getting ready. Got my shovel, got my power bank,” Long said.

In many places, from big box stores to mom-and-pop shops, supplies are disappearing just as fast as they are stocked.

“So, we’ve sold out of ice melt,” said Craig Anderson, Blackhawk Hardware. “We’ve got some sleds left. They’re going quick too. It’s very limited. And from what I’m hearing, the whole city of Charlotte is running low on ice melt.”

Duke Energy expects to meet demands during winter storm

Brooks said rolling blackouts are an emergency measure and only happen if customers need more energy than the grid can provide.

2022 ARTICLE: Governor wants to know what went wrong as Duke Energy resumes normal power operations

Duke Energy customer Stacy Staggs wants to know if she will lose power.

“It’s an inconvenience for a lot of people. It’s a matter of life or death for other,” she said.

Her daughter relies on life-saving medical equipment.

In 2022 when Duke Energy intentionally turned off power to her and 500,000 other customers, she had to make a quick decision to rely on a short-term battery backup or seek emergency help.

She wants to know if that will happen again.

Duke Energy doesn’t see that happening, for now.

Right now, we anticipate being able to meet those energy needs reliably, and we don’t anticipate any challenges.

The upcoming storm could stress our power system and bring dangerous cold temperatures, which usually means a spike in energy use.

Unlike 2022, though Duke Energy has made sure its power plants are ready through annual maintenance so as many as possible can work at full capacity.

“If we need to purchase the additional generation, that’s also an option that we’re exploring right now,” Brooks said.

Another issue in 2022: The software that managed the blackouts malfunctioned, which meant people were without power for hours when it should have been minutes.

Brooks said that has been fixed and tested.

Duke Energy updated its communication system to alert customers as quickly as possible if something happens.

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