MLGW lifts precautionary boil water advisory
MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said the roughly 30,000 customers still without power Wednesday could be without power for days, as triple-digit temperatures sweep the region.
Keely Brewer
Reporter
Keely Brewer is a Report for America corps member covering environmental impacts on communities of color in Memphis. She is working in partnership with the Ag & Water Desk, a sustainable reporting network aimed at telling water and agriculture stories across the Mississippi River Basin.
There are 322 articles by Keely Brewer :
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June 2023
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City of Memphis -
Shelby County Vegetation responsible for ‘vast majority’ of recent power problems
MLGW needs to clear about 1,400 miles of vegetation each year to maintain its tree-trimming schedule; in the past four years combined, however, it hasn’t been able to meet that goal.
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Spirit of MemphisDoris Bradshaw honored as mother of local environmental justice movement
For a time, Doris Bradshaw walked miles around the neighborhood nearly every day, telling her neighbors about the toxins at the Defense Depot — arsenic, lead, mercury and a host of other chemicals — that seeped into their soil and water. Within the first year, Doris had organized a group of about 1,500 people.
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Shelby County MLGW expects current power outages to continue through the weekend
The utility replaced more than 350 wooden utility poles in three days.
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Public SafetyTennessee sues more than 20 ‘forever chemical’ manufacturers
Tennessee is the 24th state to argue that ‘forever chemical’ manufacturers should pay to clean it up.
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City of Memphis TVA braces for heat wave as MLGW calls for energy conservation
“I’m going to ask is that everyone uses sensible measures to conserve electricity where and when you can, irrespective of electrical outage,” MLGW’s McGowen said.
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MLGW expects current power outages to continue through the weekend
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State Government State Attorney General leads resistance to proposed EPA regulations of EtO
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed tighter restrictions on ethylene oxide, or EtO, which is used in a South Memphis facility. But 20 state attorneys general are urging the EPA to forgo or defer the regulations.
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July 2023
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MetroSummer nights, hotter than they used to be, offer little relief in outages
Even after the sun sets, there won’t be much of a break from the heat, especially for the remaining Memphis Light, Gas and Water customers whose power is still out.
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Germantown ‘I don’t want customers to lose hope': Second week of storms knocks power out for 35,000
Another weekend storm with winds up to 60 miles per hour has left crews with more downed trees and power lines to address.
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Metro More storms could pack a wallop as utility crews trudge on
Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner called the latest outage ‘a gut punch’ to those already affected. MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said weather-related repairs delay long-term reliability improvements.
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‘I don’t want customers to lose hope’: Second week of storms knocks out power for 35,000
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City of Memphis Power is back on for 99.9% of MLGW customers
By Wednesday evening, fewer than 500 MLGW customers were dealing with outages.
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City of Memphis Parks and rec: Memphis’ ParkScore hurt by access, equity
“Memphis has very large parks, but those large parks are not dispersed in a way that they can benefit the majority of residents.”
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Metro Memphis plans wastewater, drinking water improvements
The City of Memphis is getting more than $100 million from the state to improve water infrastructure.
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City of Memphis MLGW chief: Failure to trim trees increased outages fivefold
If MLGW had met its tree-trimming goals, trees would have caused an estimated 25 circuit outages in 2020, according to utility President and CEO Doug McGowen. Instead, they caused 120.
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City of Memphis Agricenter president tapped to MLGW board
“As a member of the community that works in Memphis but lives in Arlington, I certainly have strong feelings about having a more responsive utility for suburban communities,” Butler said.
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DowntownHistory is huge draw for Mississippi River tourists. But whose history?
Overnight cruises returned to the Mississippi River a decade ago, and many passengers say the river’s storied past is part of the draw. But what history do they learn, and how?
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DowntownWith cruises bringing affluent travelers to town, Memphis looks to the river
With the return of river travel, three companies are currently offering overnight cruises on the Mississippi while nearby cities look to cash in.
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DowntownBurgeoning Mississippi riverboat industry faces more drought, flooding
As demand for overnight river cruises on the Mississippi increases, the industry also faces increasing climate threats. Recent years have seen wild swings between heavy rainfall and severe drought, making the river tougher to navigate.
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DowntownBrooks Museum faces mediation over planned site
Friends for Our Riverfront, a local group dedicated to protecting the city’s riverfront promenade for public use, is legally challenging the museum’s right to build at the Downtown site.
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Metro Power outages spike during severe thunderstorms, heat advisory
The area is under a severe thunderstorm watch until at least midnight and an excessive heat warning Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m., meaning the heat index could reach 112 degrees.
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MetroPower outages the eighth-worst in MLGW’s history
Historical data from MLGW shows the worst storms in its history, based on the number of customers who lost power. More than a third of those happened in the past year and half.
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Power outages spike Tuesday during severe thunderstorms, heat advisory
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City of Memphis MLGW estimates power outages will last several days
Straight line winds downed 11 power poles on Winchester Road, knocking thousands off the grid. Lightning also tripped breakers at utility substations, which McGowen said “had a pretty dramatic impact that we don’t typically see.”
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Food News Captain D’s solar farm could have wider implications
With power outages costing the company at least half a million dollars, the local owner of Captain D’s restaurants is planning a new solar project — and it’s got community leaders excited.
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City of MemphisBarrage of storms complicate long-term improvements at MLGW
Normal Station has been one of the areas hardest hit by power outages, but modernizing the community’s electric equipment has resulted in a 50% improvement in reliability.
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Metro Power outages to last until Sunday for some MLGW customers
The majority of outages remaining from Tuesday’s storm are in six clusters: Raleigh, Frayser, Berclair, East Memphis, Germantown and Hickory Hill.
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