TVA: Power demand records set during cold snap

Record-setting temperatures across the region continue to put intense pressure on the power system, according to TVA.

TVA says it set three records during the brutal cold snap that sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits and caused wind chills to reach to as low as -20 degrees in some spots.

In a press release, TVA said that on Saturday morning, December 24, it directed local power companies to implement planned, short duration, intermittent power interruptions to maintain system reliably. This action was similar to steps taken on Friday, December 23, to help ensure power system reliability. This measure was temporary until the highest peak power demands were met.

During the 24-hours of December 23, TVA says it supplied more energy than at any other time in its history – 740 gigawatt-hours, or 740 million kilowatt-hours. The cold also produced a winter record for peak power demand of 33,425 megawatts at 7 pm Central time when the average temperature was 9 degrees across the region.

The public is asked to maintain their conservation efforts during the cold weather using a few simple steps:

• Lower thermostats by just one or two degrees – public safety is of utmost importance during dangerously cold weather, so don’t make big adjustments but every degree can help save on future power bills,
• Delay doing laundry or running a dishwasher until the warmest part of the day, and turn off unnecessary lights and electronics, and
• When the sun is out, open window coverings on the sunny side of homes and offices, but close window coverings at night and when the sun isn’t brightly shining.

“We appreciate the work of so many local power companies, businesses and residents to assist TVA in managing the impacts of this extraordinary weather event,” said Don Moul, TVA’s chief operating officer. “We remain committed to working together to manage the demands of this extraordinary weather and still make the holidays safe and warm.”