AES Indiana prepares for first winter storm of 2025

January 5, 2025

AES Indiana, a subsidiary of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), is preparing for the first winter storm of 2025 called Winter Storm Blair. The winter storm is expected to bring heavy snowfall, hazardous travel conditions and freezing temperatures to AES Indiana’s service territory. The most current National Weather Service forecast is showing more than five inches of snow and 25-35 MPH wind gusts starting midday Sunday. The storm is expected to leave extreme bitter cold temperatures lasting through the middle of the week.

AES Indiana is fully staffed and prepared to support all AES Indiana customers should there be power outages. AES Indiana is urging its customers to put safety first, be weather aware and avoid unnecessary travel during dangerous conditions. Customers can also plan ahead by creating emergency kits, discussing emergency / back-up plans if they rely on electrically powered medical equipment and knowing where their fuse boxes or circuit breakers are located.

Customers can report downed power lines and outages day or night through the AES Indiana Outage Center or by calling 317-261-8111. Customers can also stay updated on outages and restoration efforts by bookmarking aesindiana.com/storm-updates and by following AES Indiana on social media @AESIndiana on Facebook, X and Instagram. 

Additionally, AES Indiana reminds customers of these helpful winter storm preparedness tips:

Before the storm

  • Have your emergency storm kit readily available. Prepare your kit with an emergency radio (battery powered or solar-charged), mobile device chargers, flashlights, first aid kit, non-perishable food items, water, face coverings, hand sanitizer, batteries, blankets and other necessities.
  • Develop an emergency plan. Make sure your plan addresses any special medical needs or medications you or your family members have. Call your local emergency management office to discuss necessary arrangements.
  • Be prepared for power outages. Bookmark AES Indiana’s Outage Center on your mobile device for quick access to report outages and get updates on our outage map. If your power goes out, report your outage immediately. Don’t rely on your neighbors to report your outage.

If your power goes out

  • Turn off all appliances, including your furnace, space heaters, water heater and water pump. Leave on one lamp to know when power has been restored. That way, you can avoid a circuit overload and another outage that may result when power is restored to all appliances at once.
  • Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed. Food will stay frozen for 36 to 48 hours in a fully loaded freezer if you keep the door closed. A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours.
  • Open your blinds during the day, cover windows with drapes at night and gather in a central room where there is an alternative heat source, such as a fireplace. Provide ample ventilation and ensure plenty of distance from your home or work when using portable generators.
  • If the indoor temperature drops to 55°F or below, open your faucets slightly so they constantly drip to prevent pipes from freezing.
  • Remain patient. Every electric company – including AES Indiana – has a detailed plan for restoring electricity as quickly and safely as possible. One of the first steps that AES Indiana takes – to prevent injuries and fires – is to make sure that power is no longer flowing through downed lines. Restoration then proceeds based on established priorities.
  • Indy Parks and Recreation will be open during normal business hours and will provide access to a warm place should you need one you experience a prolonged power outage. Hours, contact information and updates can be found here: https://parks.indy.gov/extremeweather/.

For more safety tips and resources, visit aesindiana.com/safety-tips.

About AES Indiana

AES Indiana, an AES Company, provides retail electric service to more than 530,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Indianapolis, as well as portions of other Central Indiana communities surrounding Marion County. During its long history, AES Indiana has supplied its customers with some of the lowest-cost, most reliable power in the country. For more information about the company, please Connect with AES Indiana on X, Facebook and LinkedIn. For more information about how AES Indiana is accelerating the future of energy, visit aesindiana.com.