Clark County REMC warns of potential rolling blackouts
Jun. 13—SOUTHERN INDIANA — Clark County REMC has a plan in place with the hot week ahead.
In a statement released Monday the utility provider said that when an electricity grid is overloaded, there can be rolling blackouts in an area. This can happen in the summer months, when customers crank up the air-conditioning to deal with the heat.
At this time no rolling blackouts have been planned or announced in Southern Indiana.
Much of the area is under an Excessive Heat Warning through Tuesday evening. According to our news partners at WAVE 3 News the heat index could bring feels-like temperatures of 104 to 111 degrees to the area.
Some portions of Southern Indiana are under a heat advisory.
Right now customers aren't asking for more than the electric grid can produce. If that changes, the co-operative has some plans in place.
First, REMC will switch the headquarters to generator power and then ask large commercial members to do the same. If that doesn't save enough power, rolling blackouts would occur in a small part of the area, but for only half an hour.
There are things families can do to help, too.
People can cut back on electric usage from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., which tends to be the most critical part of the day. This can be done by unplugging things that aren't in use, turning off computer monitors and closing the curtains to keep heat out of the house.
Using the grill instead of an oven to cook meals can help save energy as well by not heating the house.
Duke Energy released information to give customers tips on how they can save power and cash during the hot summer months.
Spokeswoman Angeline Protogere told the News and Tribune in an email that much of the planning for the utility focuses on having reliable operations when the demand for electricity is at the highest.
Duke does advance maintenance on its power units ahead of higher electric demand times and invests in the electric grid.
"We prepare carefully to meet electric demand during extreme weather —whether the heat of summer or the cold of winter," Protogere said. "The electric grid is interconnected, and we operate as a region through MISO, the regional power coordinator. We are in daily communication with MISO as it is the regional organization that balances power generation with customer demand for electricity in the region."
Jackson County REMC is also educating customers in that part of the region about rolling blackouts.
Vice President of Cooperative Services Nancy Stidham said Hoosier Energy provides the electricity in the area. The group released this statement.
"Over the past several years, the electric industry has undergone an accelerated transition to renewable energy sources, providing intermittent energy instead of 24x7 generation via coal and natural gas. So far, the pace of additions hasn't kept up with retirements, creating a supply/demand imbalance.
"The result is an increased possibility of requests to reduce electricity usage. If the problem becomes too great, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) — our regional grid operator overseeing 15 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba — may order rolling blackouts.
"Hoosier Energy and our members, including Jackson County REMC, are proactively communicating to prepare customers for potential interruptions in service," the statement said.
