CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Appalachian Power has called on customers to conserve electricity amid extremely cold temperatures. As of mid-morning Saturday, the company reported just over 36,000 outages across their service territory in West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. The outages in West Virginia were whittled down to just a few over 3,000.
However, the bigger concern is the demand for power in the next 24 hours. Temperatures across the region have hovered around zero and may go lower in the overnight hours. The frigid weather has put an unusually high demand on the grid.
PJM, operator of the electric energy grid across 16 states, sought the conservation request through Appalachian Power’s parent company AEP.
“What we’re asking is customers who do have power conerve energy as much as possible because there is such high demand across that 16 state territory. We want to do what we can so we don’t run into intermitent power outages,” said Appalachian Power spokesperson Karen Wissing.
We are actively working with PJM and other regional utilities here to minimize the impact of this event on our customers. “We understand that cutting back on electricity use can be inconvenient and uncomfortable, especially during the holidays. This is a necessary step to prevent broader power interruptions, and we appreciate our customers’ efforts.”
The company offered a series of suggestions for customers to help conserve electricity use for the holiday weekend. The suggestions included setting your thermostat lower than usual, if health allows. They also recommend postponing the use of major electric appliances such as stoves, dishwashers and clothes dryers. It’s also suggested you turn off non-essential electric lights, equipment and appliances.
Although mid-west and western states have experienced brown outs and rolling blackouts at times of peak demand, this is an unprecedented request in the Appalachian region.
“It’s a first for us and it is concerning. However, there are small steps that everyone can take,” said Wissing.
PJM and Appalachian Power ask customers to take the recommended actions until 10 a.m. Dec. 25, 2022, to help ensure adequate power supplies.
Without enough voluntary conservation from customers, the company said forced rationing of power may be necessary.
The company writes further in its press release, “…If further emergency action is required to reduce the load on the electric system, PJM would direct the company to begin grid protection power outages to parts of its service territory. These outages will be brief and intermittent whenever possible to limit the impact on customers.”
“Customers should be prepared for the possibility of temporary electric service outages if further emergency action is required. Please check with elderly or disabled family, friends and neighbors to ensure they are okay and have a plan for possible outages.”