Despite hurricane, RP&L reliability exceeds 99.9%

Squirrels posed a problem for Richmond Power & Light during 2024. So did trees.

Those are normal issues causing outages each year, but Hurricane Helene was an anomaly that impacted RP&L’s service the most last year.

General Manager Tony Foster reported to the RP&L board, which is comprised of Richmond Common Council members, the utility’s 99.9740% Average Service Availability Index during the board’s Feb. 3 meeting. That means power was not available for a customer only 0.0260% of the time. The reliability was just a tick better than 2023’s 99.9736%, although reliability exceeded 99.98% each year from 2017 through 2022.

For 11 months last year, RP&L’s reliability exceeded 99.9%, but Helene dropped September’s reliability below 99.8%. The hurricane caused 5,731 customer outages for more than 1.7 million customer minutes, accounting for 95.1% of weather-related customer minutes lost throughout the year.

Squirrels caused 33 of the 42 animal-related outages during 2024. Those outages left 3,205 customers without power for 104,627 customer minutes. Trees also accounted for 42 outages for 184,515 customer minutes. Both those totals were down from 2023, however. There were 53 animal incidents and 47 tree incidents that year.

RP&L continues efforts to limit outages, Foster said. The utility is aggressive with its tree-trimming program and installs animal guards. It also has resumed moving lines underground in city neighborhoods. 

Green power rider

RP&L took the next step toward implementing a voluntary green power rider for customers willing to pay extra for green power provided by the Indiana Municipal Power Agency, which supplies RP&L with electricity.

Burning fossil fuels for energy contributes to global warming. IMPA’s website says its green power program allows customers to support the use of renewable power sources like sun, wind and water at a minimal additional cost per kilowatt-hour.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to add the $0.006 rider to the utility’s rate list. Now, an ordinance will go before Common Council for its approval.

Businesses have requested the rider be available to them. Foster said it’s often cheaper for them to pay the rider than to develop their own sources of green energy.

Mobile power unit

Foster received permission to receive bids for a new mobile power unit that was included in the 2025 capital budget.

The current machine with a generator, arrow board and pumps for use in maintenance holes and vaults is out of service. It’s a 1985 model with 15,257 hours of service, and parts are unavailable.

Foster said the new model will have better pumps, an air blower, a sump pump, an LED arrow board, a generator, dry air for tools and a winch. RP&L has infrastructure in 118 maintenance holes and 25 vaults, making the unit important to its operations.