UPDATE: As of 12:25 p.m. on Jan. 17, TVA has ended their official call for energy conservation. While a new record demand for the TVA system was set during this event, the efforts of individuals, families, and organizations to conserve energy successfully curbed demand below what was projected for Wednesday morning.
In addition to asking for voluntary reductions in power from individuals, NGEMC and other local power companies served by TVA across seven states contacted schools and large industrial customers directly asking for delays and reductions in power consumption during this event. We want to extend our thanks particularly to our members and communities in Northwest Georgia for the choices and changes you made over the last 24 hours to help reduce the peak demand. NGEMC greatly appreciates you! We also want to give a shout out to all the line crews who constantly brave the cold to respond to any system challenges mother nature may bring our way.
More freezing temperatures are headed our way this weekend, please be vigilant and remain safe.
UPDATE: As of 2:00 p.m. Jan 16, TVA has officially sent a public appeal for energy conservation which is expected to remain in effect until at least 11:00 a.m. on Wed. Jan. 17. Please take steps to conserve power (see tips below). The demand for power on the system Tuesday night and Wednesday morning is expected to surpass any previous TVA record.
TVA has projected that demand for power across their seven-state service area will be extremely high over the next few days, with a record-breaking peak in demand projected for Wednesday morning sometime between 7 and 11 a.m. The system is expected to sustain high demand throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
Why does it matter? By taking proactive steps throughout the period of freezing temperatures, our communities can conserve energy and stabilize energy demand.
Industries, organizations, families, and individuals can take these steps to reduce demand:
- Delay energy use as much as possible on Wednesday morning.
- Set thermostats to the lowest comfortable temperature. (Even lowering your thermostat by two degrees can help. We are NOT asking you to turn your household heat off.)
- Turn off and unplug unused electronics and appliances.
- FACILITY MANAGERS: shut down or turn off unneeded electronics, appliances, or lights at the close of business on Tuesday in case of delayed openings or closings during the bitter cold of Wednesday morning.
By working together and making small adjustments, we can help curb demand and conserve energy.
