Urgent request to AEC members to conserve energy during extreme cold
With the coldest temperatures in more than a year expected to reach the Co-op’s service area over the next couple of nights, Appalachian Electric Cooperative is taking steps to ensure a reliable supply of power for everyone.
“It’s been a challenging week,” says AEC Member Services Director Mitch Cain. “With the ice storm bringing down power lines and disrupting service to thousands of our members, we’ve been hard-pressed to restore power in advance of the arctic air headed our way. As we continue to work toward addressing the last remaining outages, we must address the frigid temperatures that will impact our service area. All of us can be proactive in our approach to limit any potential outage situations. Members can help us do that starting Wednesday afternoon at 5:00 pm. by voluntarily curtailing their electrical use during this period of anticipated high demand for power.”
Cain cites several examples of actions consumers can take to assist in this effort, including the most important step to take: “If everyone will turn down the thermostat setting on their home heating systems, that will make a critical difference. Even a degree or two will help—to 68 degrees or lower, if possible.” Reductions in electrical demand can also be realized by:
- Postponing the use of appliances such as dishwashers, dryers, ovens, and stoves until after this period of peak demand has passed—or at least avoiding their use during high-demand times of day like early morning and early evening.
- Opening blinds and curtains on sunny days (to allow for natural heating via the sun’s energy), but keeping them closed on cloudy days and at night.
- Turning off all nonessential lights, appliances, and electronics—and unplugging chargers and other electrical equipment.
The highest demand period for the AEC system is expected to occur sometime Friday morning, February 20th, and the projected peak will likely exceed 335 megawatts. To put this into perspective, the Co-op’s previous peak demand of 330 MW was reached just last year—during the “Polar Vortex” event.
Cain says that AEC members can do themselves a favor, and at the same time, help their neighbors and the Cooperative by reducing power consumption between now and Friday afternoon. Help us as we strive to prevent outages and service interruptions. Thank you.
