UPDATE: (6:30 P.M.) – The Tennessee Valley Authority announced that an all-time December peak power demand was set on Friday as temperatures were in the teens and single digits all day. They continued to encourage people to reduce their energy consumption, saying that every little bit helps.
“Our dedicated employees and partners are working around the clock to keep the power system stable and supply power to 10 million people in the region.” TVA said “We are grateful for your patience and assistance in helping reduce your power consumption, even during time with your family.”
UPDATE: (2:00 P.M.) – Rolling blackouts across East Tennessee have ended after the Tennessee Valley Authority announced their power system was experiencing ‘unprecedented demand’ amid extreme low temperatures.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced rolling blackouts and asked customers to reduce their electricity usage amid “unprecedented demands” on the power system.
The federally owned electric utility corporation shared on social media around 12:30 p.m. Friday that the extremely cold temperatures have created unprecedented demands on the power system, and that it was asking people to reduce electric power use as much as possible without sacrificing safety.
“We are asking for everyone’s help in ensuring the power grid remains stable for us all.” The Tweet from TVA read.
The entire TVA is actively working with local power companies and other regional utilities to minimize the duration of this event” TVA said. “We apologize for the inconvenience we know these conditions will cause, especially during a holiday period, but it is a necessary step to prevent far greater power interruptions affecting the entire area.
TVA’s power service territory covers 80,000 square miles across Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia.
