ATLANTA, Ga. () — Over a year has passed since Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia by toppling trees and power lines, leaving many residents without electricity. In response, Georgia Power is utilizing the lessons learned from that experience to prevent future outages during severe weather.

Serving nearly 3 million residents, Georgia Power faced a significant challenge when Helene struck last September, deploying 20,000 workers and support crews to swiftly restore electricity.

“In collaboration with the Georgia Public Service Commission over the last decade, we’ve invested over $10 billion into enhancing grid infrastructure and resilience,” stated Alicia Brown, spokesperson for Georgia Power. “Smart grid technology plays a crucial role in identifying areas in need of repair and facilitates rapid response after major storms.”

Following Hurricane Helene, the company was able to restore electricity to approximately 95% of customers within eight days. Crews encountered extensive difficulties reaching isolated areas, utilizing boats and aerial technology to locate downed lines and outages.

Since the storm, Georgia Power has modernized its electrical network with smart grids that automatically redirect power when damage is detected.

“Our investment in smart grids enables us to quickly identify and reroute power around trouble spots,” Brown explained. “This allows us to focus manpower on the most severely impacted regions.”

Georgia Power says these upgrades — including stronger poles, upgraded transformers, and self-healing grids — are designed to make the system more resilient, minimize outages and help restore power faster during future hurricanes and severe weather events.