Water is Memphis’ new weather problem. What can be done to fix it?
Three years ago, Memphis Light, Gas and Water issued its first boil-water advisory for the area. Since then, it’s issued four more. Related stories:
Topic: Doug McGowen
RSSThere are 193 article(s) tagged Doug McGowen:
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January 2024
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Boil-water advisory could lift by Thursday, MLGW chief says
Customers are requested to stop dripping faucets and refrain from going to get their car washed. That will help save 10 million gallons of water a day, Doug McGowen said at a press conference Sunday, Jan. 21.
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College campuses in the area closed again Monday
Area schools close Monday as snow, ice struggle to thaw -
TVA power demand could hit record high by Wednesday, affecting Memphis
The last time MLGW’s power supplier TVA experienced record power demand, Memphis had its first rolling blackouts.
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Memphis gears up for coming winter storm
“This is not a time to panic,” said Memphis Light, Gas and Water president and CEO Doug McGowen. “It’s a time to prepare.”
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December 2023
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Strickland exits as a tough political foe and dominant force in local politics
With an ability to cross racial lines, the outgoing Memphis mayor was a boss who knew how to delegate and trust experts but did not abdicate responsibility for making decisions.
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Through storms of COVID and crime, Strickland’s Memphis pushed forward
Jim Strickland’s years as mayor took Memphis into its third century of existence, through the COVID-19 pandemic and brought it face-to-face with some of the worst crimes and crime waves in its modern history.
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MLGW wraps up smart meter fixes, but billing problems linger
Whitehaven resident Patricia Smith is one of about 10% of MLGW customers affected by billing issues over the past year due to faulty smart meters.
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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.”
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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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