How resilient is Ga.’s power grid?

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - As you’re warm in your homes right now, don’t forget more than 100,000 Texans are freezing in their homes - no heat, no electricity. While the majority of the power has been restored after five days, some are facing a new challenge.

Ruptured pipes are leading to widespread issues with drinking water. 7 million people in Texas are now under boil water advisories.

The extreme weather is blamed for the deaths of at least 69 people so far.

You may be wondering would the same thing happen here if severe winter storms like that came to Georgia?

Public Service Commissioner Bubba McDonald says Georgians shouldn’t be worried and explains why the state is well prepared.

As winter storms ravage Southern parts of the U.S., Georgia Public Service Commissioner Bubba McDonald says he doesn’t foresee Georgians being without electricity, gas, and water for days.

“Anything is possible, probable not,” said McDonald.

He says that’s because the state has a diverse system for making electricity.

“We are 50 percent coal. We are 20 percent nuclear and in a couple of years will be 40 percent nuclear. We are 20 percent combined-cycle natural gas and 10 percent in renewables.”

McDonald also says it’s regulated by the Public Service Commission and he adds, some money from your Georgia Power bill helps maintain those efforts.

Georgia’s power grid lies within the Eastern Interconnect as well as many other states along the East Coast and the middle of the U.S. It gives Georgia the ability to share energy with other states and them with us. However, some southern state leaders want to dive deeper into the condition of their own power grids after seeing the damage winter storms have caused this week.

To that point, Commissioner McDonald says Georgia’s energy transmission systems are constantly maintained. He believes other states should be doing the same thing.

“That should’ve been done all the time. You maintain that system. You don’t wait till there’s some catastrophe to find out that your system is broken.”

As we continue to move through the winter season, McDonald says Georgia Power employees are prepared to assist for a winter storm and the state is in good shape.

Georgia Power told WTOC as of Thursday morning 300 Georgia Power line workers and 75 members of their vegetation team have gone to Mississippi to help restore the power.

Thirty members from Savannah were also sent to help.

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