HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Tennessee Valley Authority is experiencing an all-time peak in demand due to the extreme temperatures this region is facing. With the snow and cold outside, more people are staying home with the heat cranked up high, which is putting a strain on the power grid. The TVA is the source of power for Tennessee, Kentucky, parts of Alabama and Mississippi, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. Pennyrile Electric, and HES/EnergyNet are asking customers to pull back on their power usage the next few days.
“Power supplies are tightening as frigid temperatures bear down on our service territory and throughout the Tennessee Valley. We are asking our members to help extend our available power supply by conserving energy. Together, our small steps have a big impact,” said Pennyrile Electric in Hopkinsville on Facebook.
Pennyrile Electric also said the TVA has initiated a step in the Emergency Load Curtailment Program as of Tuesday afternoon. This means they are asking the public to voluntarily reduce their electrical use. Small reductions like turning off unneeded lights and postponing the use of large appliances like dishwashers and dryers in the morning could make a large impact. Between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. is when they are the most overloaded, so this is the crucial time to reduce usage.
“These small reductions by TVA’s millions of customers can have a huge impact on overall energy usage and help us avoid stressing our generation and transmission grid,” said HES/EnergyNet on Facebook.