Is Memphis ready to weather the winter?
“I cannot guarantee that nothing will happen,” Doug McGowen, president and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water said. “But I can guarantee that we’re much better prepared than we were last winter.”
Topic: Doug McGowen
RSSThere are 186 article(s) tagged Doug McGowen:
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December 2023
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MLGW has been ‘running to failure,’ CEO says
“It has been one heck of a year, and it’s culminated with this most recent decision by City Council,” MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said of this week’s vote to approve a 12% electricity rate hike.
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MLGW rethinks moving HQ to Cordova
“I heard loud and clear from City Council and from other people that moving the headquarters from Downtown was not the right signal at this time,” MLGW’s president and CEO told The Daily Memphian.
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MLGW rate hike passes final hurdle at City Council
“I believe, and my team believes, this is the necessary remedy for decades of disinvestment and failed decisions under previous presidents and previous councils,” said MLGW CEO Doug McGowen.
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November 2023
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For decades, MLGW rates didn’t keep up with inflation. Now it’s trying to make up for lost time
MLGW’s CEO said the utility has operated with a “run to fail” mindset, meaning it only fixes what’s broken, and there haven’t been regular investments in MLGW’s infrastructure for decades.
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MLGW makes case for investments after Council questions rate hike
MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said underground power line improvements show the benefits of MLGW’s 2020 rate hike.
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October 2023
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Analysis: What’s next for MLGW’s power-generating investments
MLGW president and CEO Doug McGowen’s plan, if approved, could help address Memphis’ present and future power needs.
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MLGW plans to move headquarters out of Downtown
The utility wants to move its headquarters to a larger building, a $31 million, 300,000-square-foot facility in the Goodlett Farms area, north of Shelby Farms Park.
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MLGW proposes 12% rate hike by 2026
The proposed rate hike would fund $1.2 billion of power grid improvements over the next five years.
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August 2023
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MLGW eyeing solar power, battery storage to meet energy demand
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s board of directors will vote on a proposal to replace local combustion turbines with aeroderivative turbines, which are more modern, and help integrate renewable energy into the grid.
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MLGW board member defends CEO: ‘Politics don’t need to be involved’
The Memphis mayor appoints MLGW’s president and CEO. Doug McGowen was appointed last fall, but the city’s next mayor will have the power to remove him at any time.
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July 2023
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MPD investigating threat against MLGW CEO’s wife
According to the police report, the suspect — a 56-year-old woman — said: “At least you have power,” and “Your husband needs to retire.”
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Overnight, afternoon storms create new power outages
On Friday afternoon around 1:30 p.m., another line of storms crossed the Mississippi River. As of 12 a.m. Saturday, MLGW was reporting more than 42,000 customers without power.
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800K outages in 18 months: MLGW years behind on upkeep and upgrades
“In some cases, we’re seven, eight, nine years behind. We have got to get back on schedule, and we will. The City Council has already approved this. My board has already approved this,” MLGW’s CEO said.
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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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Barrage 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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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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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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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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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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Summer 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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June 2023
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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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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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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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Why does Memphis lose power after storms? That and a few more questions answered
On Sunday night, wind gusted to more than 75 miles per hour. Shelby County was not alone in power outages, which were widespread across Hardeman, Fayette and Tipton counties.
Related stories:
MLGW issues boil water advisory for northern Shelby County
MLGW: Power restoration from Sunday night storms could take days
Sunday storm aftermath gallery: Photos and video from the destruction
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