PECO bracing for power problems with next storm

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    With another storm on the way, can anything be done to prevent the next massive outages after last week’s icestorm in the Philadelphia region? 

    PECO’s Fred Maher says utility workers have spent a week fixing the outages from the icestorm, but preventive maintenance can’t be done right now.

    “The tree trimming crews that we’ve used traditionally for planned trimming are already out there doing work related to the storm,” Maher said. “We would do very little proactive tree trimming at this point.”

    Maher says what PECO’s crews are doing is trying to strengthen the power delivery system before the next storm moves into the region.

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    “Some of the work was temporary fixes so in the interim hopefully there is some time for us to do some permanent repairs in preparation for the storm.”

    What will happen when and if the storm hits the area is anyone’s guess, since the storm’s impact depends heavily on the type and amount of precipitation that shows up.

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