Newark invests in software to improve response to power outages

Following a spate of recent power outages, the City of Newark is investing in new software to help officials better manage outages and communicate updates to residents.

Purchased at a cost of approximately $350,000, the new system will take approximately 10 weeks to be installed, according to Electric Director Bhadresh Patel.

The new system will include a customer-facing outage portal, where residents can view real-time information and maps of outages, report outages and see an estimated restoration time. Delmarva Power, which serves customers outside city limits, has offered a similar feature for many years.

City electric customers will be able to sign up for a text notification system to get alerts when their residence is affected by a power outage.

The software will also include a call-handling system that uses automated responses to help dispatchers handle large volumes of calls reporting outages. That will reduce the burden on police dispatchers, who handle after-hours power outage calls.

Additional internal features will help electric linemen and supervisors better keep track of and respond to outages.

The goal of the system, Patel said, “is to make the department’s outage response operations more efficient, thereby improving the utility’s reliability while also improving the quality and speed of information provided to our customers during outages.”

The city has long prided itself on the reliability of its electric service, but a series of outages this spring prompted criticism from some residents.

In May, after multiple outages that affected College Park, Suburban Plaza, Arbour Park, Sandy Brae Industrial Park and surrounding areas, the city issued a public apology.

“We understand the frustration caused by the recent power outages and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,” Patel wrote in a letter to city residents. “Rest assured, we are taking these issues seriously and proactively working to resolve them. Although the recent outages have been frequent, it is coincidental that these faults all occurred on the same circuit. We are actively working on making the necessary repairs and implementing solutions to enhance the reliability of the area.”