Xcel Energy will now use cell phones to notify people who live near its Monticello and Prairie Island nuclear plants in case of an emergency, instead of outdoor sirens.
The Minneapolis-based utility said it will use the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, a national system that delivers severe weather warnings and AMBER alerts through cell phones.
Xcel said the modern technology is a safety upgrade, allowing notifications to be sent out more quickly and with more detail.
“We have found generally today, most people have a mobile phone, or they’re with somebody that has a mobile phone,” said Pamela Prochaska, general manager of fleet operations. “So we think this is the best way to reach people.”
Previously, Xcel had traditional sirens to alert people of a radiological emergency, although it’s never had to use them.
Unlike a siren, the cell phone alerts can be tailored to provide details about the situation and recommended actions people should take, Prochaska said.
“It allows us to put things in context, and it allows us to provide direction of what people maybe should do as they’re getting this information,” she said.
People who live within 10 miles of the Monticello or Prairie Island nuclear plants are automatically enrolled in the wireless alert system, and don't need to take any action.
Xcel and the state’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management division have been notifying emergency responders about the change. Xcel also will include the information in the mailing it sends every year to people who live within 10 miles of the plants.
The company plans to donate its sirens to communities that choose to keep them for severe weather or other as a backup warning system in case of a nuclear emergency, Prochaska said.
Xcel plans to keep operating both nuclear plants into the 2050s.
