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GP&L COMMITS TO REVIEW AND RESOLVE COMMUNICATIONS GAP
During a Feb. 22 City Council Work Session in the immediate aftermath of the 2021 winter storm, Garland Power & Light General Manager Jeff Janke addressed storm impact on Garland’s electric customers.
Janke apologized to the Council and Garland residents for failures in two areas. First, he acknowledged failure to adequately communicate to customers and provide adequate ways for customers to communicate with GP&L. Second, he addressed the design of the citywide distribution system, which should have better accommodated rolling blackouts.
“I take full responsibility for the lack of communication during the event and commit to the Council and our customers that GP&L will be conducting a thorough review of our distribution system,” said Janke. “In fact, we will be conducting an autopsy, if you will, of how our organization performed and what things need to modified from the very top to the very bottom.”
Janke also thanked GP&L employees for the countless hours they worked and the spirit in which they conducted themselves in the most demanding of circumstances. “Our employees have spent their entire careers dedicated to ensuring that Garland’s citizens are provided reliable electricity to their homes and businesses. When that ability is taken away from them in a statewide event such as what we suffered through last week, there is deep feeling of helplessness and understandable frustration.”
GP&L and the City of Garland are committed to resolving the issues within their span of control that contributed to the difficulties many Garland residents faced during the winter storm. WINTER STORM In mid-February, a historic winter storm plunged north Texas temperatures below zero and the region’s residents into extended power outages and a nightmare of broken pipes. Garland’s leaders and City employees responded throughout the storm and its aftermath to meet needs all across the community.
As you’d expect, Police, Fire and Streets personnel were on the job 24/7. So was Garland Power & Light as problems with the statewide grid became a nightmare for residents. Water employees were critical too as pipes at residences and businesses across Garland began to burst from the record cold.
Behind the scenes, Fleet personnel refueled generators around the clock to keep City personnel in motion. Dispatchers handled thousands of calls during several consecutive days and often slept on cots at the station. Warehouse, Transportation, Wastewater, IT … a broad list of departments were pressed into service by the storm.
Staff from across the organization contributed as two recreation centers were converted to 24-hour warming centers. And when a quarter of the city’s apartment residents were left without a water connection, Central Library became a distribution hub for community-donated drinking water.
WINTER STORM BY THE NUMBERS
146,000+
5,899
Bottles of water distributed from Central Library; almost half went to apartments, the rest to individuals in need Fire calls in a five-day period starting 7 a.m. Feb. 14; 700 Water Department calls during that same period
Garland apartment units affected by the winter event
1,170 928 158
Calls to Police and Fire dispatch in a peak eight-hour time period
Consecutive hours worked by Garland Street Department crews; Water Utilities and Garland Power & Light had similar nonstop times of service
UTILITY BILLS
Garland Power & Light residential customers are all on a fixed rate plan. Customers outside the GP&L service territory who chose a variable rate plan may see a significant increase in their electric bill. Garland’s Utility Customer Service is available to assist residents whose water bills might reflect excessive water consumption due to broken pipes. Be sure to save evidence of your break, such as photos and receipts.
On March 1, the Garland City Council proposed a one-time residential water bill adjustment to offset the costs related to dripping faucets during the cold weather event. The 2,000-gallon credit will show as a reduction of the monthly Cost of Basic Service charge. This adjustment applies to both single-family and multi-family residents. Check GarlandTX.gov for updates.
Garland Utilities will always work with customers who might be struggling to pay.
