The Southwest Power Pool is asking member utilities for energy conservation across the central third of the country as the current heat wave ratchets up.
The SPP, which came to national prominence during a period of extreme cold in February, has asked utilities to begin “Conservative Operations” from noon Thursday to Friday evening. SPP Corporate Communications Supervisor Derek Wingfield says utilities need to check on whether they have prepared their resources and are doing their best to alleviate any risk to their systems because of the heat.
Evergy spokesperson Gina Penzig says this is more of a planning situation for utilities, not their customers.
4 Rivers General Manager Dennis Svanes says little steps can help, using the grill instead of the oven.
Evergy is not formally asking customers to take special steps, but it is offering tips like closing curtains or pushing the use of big energy-use appliances like dishwashers, clothes washers and clothes dryers to evening instead of mid-afternoon.
The SPP, meanwhile, has only asked for public conservation methods or enacted extreme steps like rolling blackouts once in its 80-year history, and that was back in February. It’s not expecting the need for widespread public conservation during this heat wave.
Air temperatures reached the upper 90s with heat index readings pushing to 107 in Emporia on Wednesday, and similar conditions are expected Thursday and Friday. A heat advisory continues areawide until 9 pm Thursday.
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