Inclement weather, such as high winds, heavy rain, flooding, and extreme temperatures, impacts power companies through physical infrastructure damage, increased demand, and environmental vulnerabilities. Strong winds can topple poles and trees, flooding can damage substations, heat can cause equipment to overheat, and power lines can snap.
Power companies across the U.S. use environmental engineers for many functions, such as ensuring compliance with regulations, managing waste, designing systems to minimize environmental impact, and conducting environmental assessments to mitigate impacts from storms and natural disasters.
Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) has proactive measures to protect its infrastructure and the environment from inclement weather. The protections include strengthening generation sources, regular maintenance, vegetation management, and partnering with SCS Engineers for environmental assessments and remediation.
Mineral oil is an electrical insulator and cooling agent inside power transformers. It serves as an excellent electrical insulator and a highly effective cooling agent. It prevents electrical discharges and short circuits between components while absorbing and dissipating the heat generated during operation. While a good solution for extreme weather, careful handling is critical should a transformer be damaged, which is why OPPD relies on SCS to quickly and effectively assess and remediate storm damage in the surrounding environment.
Spills happen suddenly. When they do, the SCS team is on call to assess, contain, and remediate an affected area. The remediation process involves cleaning surfaces, removing contaminated soil, and restoring the spill site, all while working to minimize power disruptions for local families and businesses. Our decades-long partnership stems from our environmental expertise and rapid response to help OPPD maintain reliable service, upholding its customer commitment to quality service and the environment.
There’s no escaping Mother Nature – extreme weather events will continue to affect Omaha through increasing risks of flooding, severe thunderstorms, and extreme heat, driven by changing precipitation patterns and the urban heat island effect. These storms bring damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes, as seen in recent years, and can damage power company infrastructure. Knowing you have an environmental steward behind your power company demonstrates Omaha Public Power District’s social commitment to its community.
Additional Resources:
