MLGW is looking to be more ‘agile.’ Here’s what that means
Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division took steps Wednesday, April 19, toward becoming what its CEO describes as a more “agile” organization.
There are 179 article(s) tagged Doug McGowen:
Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division took steps Wednesday, April 19, toward becoming what its CEO describes as a more “agile” organization.
Dr. Michelle Taylor, Shelby County Health Department director, said the decision to end the regularly scheduled meetings is a result of improvement over the last few weeks.
“The risk of additional forced blackouts is low for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,” said MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen.
Memphis will spend $42 million to replace all 77,000 of its high-pressure sodium streetlights by the end of the year — a move that is equivalent to taking about 10,000 cars off the road.
MLGW has processed bills for more than 34,000 users who were behind on payments because of faulty meters. That’s about 8% of MLGW electricity customers.
The utility already has a five-year, $1 billion infrastructure investment plan, but if Shelby County is to be prepared for a rapidly changing energy market, MLGW President Doug McGowen said they need to think further ahead.
Any change in electricity provider could require changes in that transmission system, MLGW leadership says.
In the meantime, MLGW is replacing some of the broken water registers with analog ones.
MLGW’s Smart Meters are failing at a rate that suggests a design flaw, and the problem has delayed about $12.5 million in payments to the utility.
During a MLGW board meeting Wednesday, CEO Doug McGowen indicated that load forecasting would be part of the TVA review, “because there were some real issues to talk about there.”
MLGW president and CEO Doug McGowen says his priority is finding ways to accelerate the $1.2 billion, five-year plan to upgrade the utility’s infrastructure.
An industry group estimates there are 250,000 to 300,000 water main breaks in the U.S. every year — generating an estimated loss of 6 billion gallons of treated drinking water across the country.
MLGW president and CEO Doug McGowen said Tuesday that the utility had to double the amount of water it pumped from the Memphis Aquifer because of fire protection systems and water mains breaking.
A week after single-digit temperatures descended on Memphis — wreaking havoc on the city’s power supplier and creating a water distribution crisis — Memphis Light, Gas and Water shared plans to address its shortcomings.
While normal water pressure and availability should be restored, Memphians can expect to remain under the city’s boil-water advisory for at least another day or two.
When winter weather approaches, roads are treated with a less finely ground version of sodium chloride called rock salt to lower the freezing point, which facilitates ice melting and prevents water from freezing.
MLGW President Doug McGowen said it could take “a few days” to get the leaks fixed and the system stabilized. From there, it could take “a couple of days” to sample the water and lift the advisory.
The boil water advisory remains in place even as MLGW has fixed 19 of 22 water main breaks. “What you’ll hear from our crews is that we are finding leaks everywhere now,” MLGW President Doug McGowen said.
Though dangerously cold wind chills are predicted for the Memphis area, MLGW doesn’t expect widespread power outages. But McGowen is keeping a focus on the local water system.
Thecouncil scorecard looks at the moves of city chief operating officer Doug McGowen to head Memphis Light Gas and Water Division and Chandell Ryan to the number two post at City Hall as well as a primer on both positions.
Before his confirmation by the Memphis City Council this week, Doug McGowen indicated MLGW will move closer to Memphis’ day-to-day operations. He also said the city-owned utility could expand to include broadband and has to improve its responsiveness to Memphians.
The council also confirmed Chandell Ryan as the city’s new chief operating officer — the first woman to hold the No. 2 post in city government.
The council also takes preliminary votes Tuesday, Nov. 1, on a plan and financing arrangements for an ambitious remake of the Klondike community in North Memphis.
Mayor Jim Strickland has nominated Doug McGowen to lead the city-owned utility. But council chair Martavius Jones wants the city to do a national search for the next president and CEO of MLGW.
The council has unusual back-to-back meetings this week and next week, which might have been a factor in delaying what could be a standoff over the appointment for another week.