Preparedness Requires Cooperation

Emergencies can be unpredictable and catch us off guard, but we can take actions today to be better prepared for emergencies that may happen later. For more than 20 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies have promoted National Preparedness Month every September. The purpose is to encourage Americans to plan ahead, gather supplies, and prepare for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time of year. 

Preparedness is extremely important to Victory Electric, too. Providing safe, reliable, affordable energy is our core mission, and we must stay prepared and plan ahead to accomplish that. With a network of partners, Victory Electric follows multiple plans and procedures to prepare for severe weather and any energy emergencies that may occur.

Our Partners

Victory Electric distributes electricity to homes, schools and businesses in its service area and is a member-owner of Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, a generation and transmission electric cooperative based in Hays. Sunflower generates or purchases power and delivers it to Victory Electric and other cooperatives via high-voltage transmission lines. Victory Electric then reduces the voltage and transmits power on distribution lines directly to cooperative members like you.

Sunflower is part of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas. SPP acts like an air traffic controller as it directs the flow of electricity for the power providers in its 14-state network. Victory, Sunflower and SPP work together to provide energy, and they all have a different role to play in keeping the vast, interconnected electric grid humming. 

SPP monitors grid conditions across its multi-state territory and issues advisories and alerts to its member utilities as needed. Its advisories indicate when normal operations are in effect and current power generation is sufficient to meet demand and available reserves, when extreme weather or heavy load is expected and could cause significant outages, or when SPP determines that conservation operations are in order because of weather, environmental, operational or other events. Its member utilities follow appropriate procedures according to SPP’s guidance. 

Sunflower and Victory Electric receive these advisories to stay informed and prepared for emergency alerts should they occur so that we can communicate about them with members.

Energy Emergency Alerts

There are three levels of energy emergency:

• Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 (EEA-1) indicates all resources are being used to meet electricity demand and the system is at risk of not meeting its required energy reserves.
• Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 (EEA-2) signals that SPP is unable to meet its expected energy needs and must implement additional procedures to maintain regional reliability. The public is asked to conserve energy.
• Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 (EEA-3) is triggered when operating reserves are insufficient to meet demand. SPP will begin controlled service interruptions, also known as rolling blackouts, to protect the safety of the regional grid and prevent widespread damage to the system. 

Conserving Energy

During extremely high or low temperatures and other severe conditions, Victory Electric and other utilities may request that members voluntarily conserve energy. That may mean lowering the thermostat in winter, raising the air conditioner temperature a few degrees in the summer or postponing the use of large appliances until a peak demand situation is resolved. Cooperative members working together to conserve energy makes a difference in reducing the power load when needed. 

If SPP issues a level EEA-2 or EEA-3, Victory Electric will notify our members on our Facebook page and by text message or email. Please make sure the email address and phone number associated with your Victory Electric account is current so you can receive notifications from us in energy emergencies.

Understanding SPP’s energy emergency alert system is only one part of staying prepared. Preparedness Month is also a great time to assess your family’s needs, make an emergency plan and discuss it with your loved ones, coordinate with your support network, and have multiple ways to receive alerts before, during and after a severe weather event or other emergency. 

For more tips on preparedness, visit www.ready.gov and www.victoryelectric.net/what-do-emergency.