GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Texas is dealing with significant power outages and utilities issues due to unprecedented winter weather in the Lonestar State. But Wisconsin Public Service hasn’t been called to provide assistance. At least, not yet.
“These situations are all unique to themselves. The weather conditions are unique, the different energy companies who are impacted are unique, so no two situations are going to be exactly the same,” said WPS Spokesman Matt Cullen.
Mutual aid assistance groups in the electric power industry are formed on a regional basis. Cullen says they are participating in mutual aid calls, but utilities in closer proximity usually respond first.
“We’re continuing to participate in mutual aid conference calls and will be evaluating future requests for assistance if and when we receive them,” Cullen told WTAQ News. “Once we have extreme weather events or a situation where a significant number of customers are being impacted and may be without power, that’s when those mutual aid assistance groups request assistance from other outside groups.”
WPS isn’t a stranger to the mutual aid process. They’ve provided and received help over the past several years.
“We’ve also assisted other companies in other areas of the country in the past, and we’ll continue to take part in those mutual aid calls [and] evaluate those requests if and when we do receive them,” Cullen said. “A couple of years ago we were in a similar situation during the summer months when we had some very destructive storms that moved through and we had to rely on that mutual aid assistance network to be able to have additional companies come and assist us.”
While WPS workers won’t be heading south (yet), that doesn’t mean that they aren’t dealing with winter weather-related services. This is Wisconsin after all.
“Our priority each day is providing safe and reliable service to our customers. That’s what we’ve been focusing on as we’ve moved throughout the last few weeks here, and it’s been important because we’ve had subzero temperatures that have lingered in our service area as well,” Cullen said.
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