Delmarva Power customers experienced the lowest frequency of electric outages ever in 2018. The frequency of outages decreased from the previous low, set in 2017, by 8 percent.

Over the past five years, ongoing investments in the local energy grid have driven a 34 percent decrease in the frequency of electric outages Delmarva Power customers have experienced.

“Delivering improved service reliability year-over-year is a direct result of every one of our employees keeping our customers front and center in everything we do,” said Tyler Anthony, Senior Vice President & COO, Pepco Holdings, which includes Delmarva Power.

“Whether it’s their home, their business, or their car, our customers are more connected than ever to the local energy grid, which is why we are making sustained investments to make the grid more reliable and resilient and meet their evolving energy needs,” he said.

Over the last five years, the investments made every day in Delaware and Maryland to modernize the local energy grid have enhanced reliability for customers. This work has helped improve both the frequency and duration of power outages and resulted in record performance for frequency in 2018, with customers experiencing less than one outage, on average, over the course of the year.

Each day, work is performed as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to further improve reliability for customers. This work includes inspecting existing infrastructure, trimming trees that could potentially impact the system, building new substations, building new underground equipment, strengthening transmission and distribution lines, and installing stronger, tree-resistant aerial cable. The company also is installing innovative technologies to improve system reliability, such as specialized equipment that can automatically restore service more quickly or isolate damage. These new technologies have been a main driver behind the continued drop in the frequency of outages customers experience.

Important projects and ongoing work that are enhancing the reliability of the local energy grid and reducing the frequency of outages in Delmarva Power’s service area are paid for through the delivery charges on customer bills. Delivery charges are reviewed and set by the public service commissions in Delaware and Maryland through a transparent regulatory rate review process.