After gale force winds of up to 100 mph in some areas on Friday night, Rt Hon Michael Fallon, Energy Minister, and Shadow Energy Secretary Rt Hon Caroline Flint visited Southern Electric Power Distribution (SEPD)’s Slough depot to see first-hand the hard work being done to repair the damage, reconnect power supplies and fend off rising water levels.
Over the weekend, SEPD engineers restored power to over 180,000 homes affected by the weather. On Saturday, Mr. Fallon met with engineers from the area and was briefed on the situation before visiting the depot’s ‘storm room’ for an overview of the effects of the strong winds and flooding on the local electricity network.
Following the tour Mr. Fallon travelled on to Wraysbury, which has been badly affected by the floods, and stopped at a substation to see how SEPD had safeguarded the asset with sandbags and pumps, thanks to the support of the MOD and local fire services.
Ms. Flint, Shadow Energy Secretary, also visited the area as work continued to reconnect customers cut off from their supply by the extreme weather. She met engineers and heard about their work to restore power in the Thames Valley Region. She applauded the efforts made by the engineers.
The SSE depot in Slough employs 78 staff and its HV and LV cables cover an area spanning from Wokingham in the west to Egham in the east.