News Summary
Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) is facing ongoing challenges with power outages affecting Shelby County. Recent incidents have left thousands without electricity, highlighting reliability concerns regarding the city’s electrical infrastructure. As storms impact services and a substation failure exacerbates the situation, MLGW has appealed for patience from customers. The Memphis City Council’s approval of a $1.3 billion budget aims to address aging infrastructure and improve reliability through planned rate hikes.
Memphis – Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) crews are working diligently to restore power to affected areas after significant outages occurred in Shelby County due to various infrastructure challenges. The current situation highlights ongoing concerns regarding the reliability of the city’s electrical systems and the effect of weather on power supply.
As of July 19, 2023, electrical lines were reported down on Winchester Road near Ross Road. These outages come on the heels of previous incidents, with the most notable occurring on May 25 when over 9,000 MLGW customers experienced a loss of power. By 4:30 p.m. that day, 2,811 customers remained without electricity. Additionally, a substation failure on a Wednesday night in Whitehaven left over 1,500 residents without power, primarily affecting areas along Shelby Drive, Raines Road, and Holmes Road. MLGW has not yet identified the cause of this substation failure.
Further complicating the situation, a series of storms had previously caused over 21,000 customers in the Memphis area to lose power from one Wednesday to the following Thursday morning. While MLGW crews were able to restore power to more than 15,000 customers after this incident, 6,132 residents still faced outages. The utility company indicated that the majority of these outages were attributed to overhead fuses, underscoring the vulnerability of above-ground electrical infrastructure.
The utility’s request for customer patience is crucial as ongoing and impending inclement weather could further delay restoration efforts. In a previous outage event, more than 20,000 customers were left without power due to multiple substation outages but were restored within two and a half hours for most. However, a failed circuit breaker delayed the restoration of service for some residents, further intensifying frustrations among utility customers.
In light of these repeated outages, criticism surrounding MLGW’s aging infrastructure continues to grow. The substantial costs associated with burying power lines have been acknowledged by the utility, as some residents, like local resident Tim Mulroy, have noted that neighborhoods with buried lines tend to have quicker recovery times during outages compared to those with overhead lines. While outages can occur in areas with buried lines during severe weather, these instances typically last only minutes to hours instead of the days or weeks often experienced in Memphis.
To address these issues, the Memphis City Council recently approved a $1.3 billion budget for MLGW, which includes plans for an annual rate hike of 12% over the next three years. This plan encompasses a 4% increase to utility rates in the coming year, with the aim of funding necessary repairs and upgrades to the infrastructure.
The city’s approach to its electrical infrastructure is increasingly scrutinized as residents seek solutions to ongoing outages and aging systems that appear ill-equipped to handle the demands of severe weather and other disturbances. As MLGW continues its work to restore power, the focus remains on the critical need for improvements in their infrastructure to ensure a more reliable electric supply for all residents.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Severe Thunderstorms Cause Destruction in Memphis Area
Concerns Grow Over Utility Assistance Cuts in Mid-South
Severe Flooding Hits Midtown Memphis, Causing Damage and Disruptions
Severe Weather Batters Memphis and the Mid-South
Memphis Light, Gas and Water Unveils Solar Power Plans
Memphis Utility Provider Resolves Legal Dispute with Tree-Trimming Company
Water Leak Repair Set to Impact Traffic in Memphis
Memphis Weather Update: January 5 Forecast
Power Outage Shocks Memphis Residents as Thunderstorms Disrupt Electricity Supply
Memphis Experiences Widespread Power Outages Amid Chilly Temperatures
Additional Resources
- Local Memphis
- Wikipedia: Power Outage
- Fox 13 Memphis
- Google Search: Memphis power outage
- Commercial Appeal
- Google Scholar: Memphis power infrastructure
- WREG
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Power Infrastructure
- Action News 5
- Google News: MLGW power restoration
