Built on Experience: SWEPCO’s Commitment to Reliable Power

For more than a century, Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) has delivered reliable electricity to communities in Louisiana, Arkansas, northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle. Today, nearly 1,400 employees support approximately 558,000 customers. After years of evaluating system performance under demanding conditions, SWEPCO has applied those insights to strengthen operations.

Winter Storm Fern reinforced a core principle: reliability depends on having resources available when needed, for as long as needed, regardless of weather. SWEPCO's diverse generation portfolio - including coal, natural gas, wind and purchased power - helps balance reliability, flexibility and affordability.

Brett Mattison, SWEPCO president and chief operating officer, was invited to share with the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy SWEPCO's perspective on how lessons from previous storms were applied when preparing for Winter Storm Fern. During his testimony, Mattison highlighted operational performance during Winter Storm Fern, the importance of a diverse generation mix, SWEPCO's focus on grid resilience and ongoing commitments to customer reliability, modernization and readiness for future severe weather events.

"Winter Storm Fern challenged utilities across multiple states. I am proud to take this opportunity to share how our dedicated crews responded, the lessons we have learned, and how we continue working every day to provide safe, reliable service for our customers - even in the most demanding conditions," said Mattison.

Since Winter Storm Uri in 2021, SWEPCO has improved system resilience by updating reliability standards, expanding employee training and investing $7.5 million in winterization upgrades across the generation fleet. These efforts reduce disruptions, improve performance and support faster restoration.

SWEPCO's reliability strategy includes building new, winterized natural gas plants with secure pipeline access, advancing zero-carbon nuclear power for long-term baseload needs and maintaining existing coal resources until equally reliable alternatives are available. This strategy depends on investments in modern, high-capacity transmission and policies that support affordability through long-term planning and regional coordination.

As electricity demand grows due to economic development and new technologies, SWEPCO is planning responsibly for the future - adding resources, strengthening infrastructure and modernizing the grid to support growth while protecting customers from unnecessary costs.

By applying lessons learned and continuously improving how we plan and operate the system, SWEPCO is building a stronger, more reliable and more affordable energy future.