This Week’s Hot Weather Could Cause Another Voluntary Power Curtailment

You may have wondered what caused local power companies to recommend lesser use of electricity last week.

The appeal was a part of TVA’s four-step emergency load curtailment program. Spokesperson Scott Brooks said the hot weather and available power last week initiated the plan.

“We actually have a system center in Chattanooga where they are monitoring real time every activity across the system and that includes transmission generation and watching everything that can happen and also load forecasting which is what we think is going to happen tomorrow,” Scott said.

Scott said the program’s four steps start at phase “10.” Scott said this is when TVA curtails its own power use. Scott said the next phase “20” is when local power companies start asking customers to lower use. Scott said there is a possibility that one of these steps take place this week.

“We aren’t in a appeal position at the moment, but temperatures are expected to climb throughout the week.” Scott said. “So, it is possible, but again, it depends on all of the availability of units on our system and availability to purchase power from outside the system.”

Scott said step “30” means a voltage decrease. Step “40” is a non-voluntary power reduction. Scott said in his 12 years at TVA, the power grid has never reached these points.