Oklahoma Utility Companies Prepare For Winter Weather

With the February 2021 winter storm still on many people's minds, Oklahoma utility companies said they are better prepared this time around. In the last year, the Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) said it's added two wind farms, and that both are equipped to handle cold weather.

"They're bringing quite a bit of power to the system, and the cold weather packages mean they'll be resilient in the kind of weather we're getting ready to face," said Wayne Greene with PSO.

OG&E, which primarily serves Oklahoma City, said it also made changes in the last 12 months, like enhancing power lines and adding what it calls "smart technology."

"[The technology] can identify when a circuit has gone out and it can reroute power to a different circuit if another circuit is available to provide power," said OG&E spokeswoman Trisha Klelsch.

Similar tech is already in play for PSO customers in Green Country. Greene said the company is now working to apply it more broadly across the system. "And also we have better information about where the break is so we can go deal with it."

While both companies remain optimistic about this upcoming storm, they still want people to be prepared for the unknown. That's why they recommend you have an emergency kit ready to go in your car with items like jumper cables, a flashlight, batteries, blankets, an extra set of clothes, and water. Fortunately, PSO and OG&E told News On 6 that there should be enough supply to get through this week's weather.

If your power goes out or you happen to see a downed power line, call PSO at 1.888. 216.3523 or report an outage online here.