While most of Chester County is just warming up to a summer of possibilities, PECO has already dreamed up the worst Mother Nature could possibly throw at it — and spent almost $13 million to reinforce the local power grid against a potentially stormy summer.

Early forecasts predict a possibility for more  severe storms than average this summer, the local energy company just announced. Fortunately, PECO has upgraded equipment, installed new poles, strung new wires and conducted thorough inspections.

“Every day, we work hard to provide safe and reliable service to our customers, no matter what conditions we face, and we prepare for severe, damaging weather all year long,” PECO Senior Vice President and COO Mike Innocenzo said.

“Critical to our efforts is our use of new innovative technology like our advanced meters and enhanced communication tools that help us restore service faster and provide important information to customers when storms do occur.”

And this summer’s $13 million is just the beginning; on top of a regular annual investment of $500 million to maintain its systems, PECO is committing $274 million more over the next five years to bring the latest in advanced equipment technology to its customers as part of its System 2020 plan.

But if a storm does hit, PECO is ready to respond in award winning fashion you might say.  The utility has been recognized by the Edison Electric Institute, receiving four Energy Recovery Awards since 2010.

The utility also has rolled out new technology to help keep customers informed anytime, anywhere. By signing up for free PECO Alerts, PECO can notify you by text, email or phone when a power outage occurs and update you on efforts to restore power.

They can also warn you of spikes in usage and remind you when your bill is due. Or you can participate in their two-way texting program for outages. By texting “ADDOUTAGE” to MYPECO (697326) you can enroll, or just visit PECO.com on your computer or mobile device.

And heed PECO’s advice when a severe storm is on its way: Stock up on bottled water and easy-to-prepare, non-perishable food; charge your cell phones and mobile devices; and keep flashlights and fresh batteries on every floor of your home.

Check out more PECO tips, especially to save energy as you stay cool, online here, and read up on previous VISTA Today coverage of the local power company here.