SHREVEPORT, La. Feb. 15, 2021 – Southwestern Electric Power Co.

(SWEPCO) has begun temporarily interrupting power to parts of its

service territory in an emergency procedure prompted by extreme winter

temperatures.

The controlled outages are being implemented by utilities across

multiple states as part of emergency procedures to reduce load on the

electric system and prevent wider area outages. The action was taken

at the direction of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the regional

organization that manages the electric grid across 17 central and

western U.S. states.

SWEPCO is rotating the areas affected by the controlled outages so

customers are not without service for more than a few hours whenever

possible. The amount of time required to restore service could be

delayed in some cases due to system and weather conditions. The

temporary outages should not affect critical public health and public

safety facilities.

All efforts are under way to return service to normal as quickly as

possible.

Customers should be prepared for electric service outages as the

emergency continues in the next few days.

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For customers who have service, please continue to conserve energy.

Use energy needed for personal safety and to protect against property

damage. Minor adjustments to thermostats, plus reduced use of lighting

and appliances, can make a significant difference to the overall

electric system.

At the request of SPP, SWEPCO on Sunday issued a public appeal to

conserve energy Monday and Tuesday. However, conditions across the SPP

system worsened and controlled outages were implemented amid

persistent, widespread and extreme cold.

SWEPCO will provide updates through the news media, on SWEPCO.com, and

on the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

SPP is a regional transmission organization: a not-for-profit

corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to

ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission

infrastructure and competitive wholesale electricity prices on behalf

of its members. SPP manages the electric grid across 17 central and

western U.S. states and provides energy services on a contract basis

to customers in both the Eastern and Western Interconnections. The

company’s headquarters are in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at

SPP.org.