Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Extreme heat expands across Central US; some temps to top 100 degrees Chevron right
At least 6 dead amid West Virginia flooding as search continues for missing Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

66°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

66°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars
Flood Watch

News / Business

Is the US electric grid ready for changes brought on by coronavirus pandemic?

By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Apr 7, 2020 6:18 PM EDT

Copied

The sun ejects charged particles towards Earth, which can eventually lead to blackouts. The USGS mapped high-hazard regions to help power companies prepare.

Manhattan office buildings are shells of the bustling centers they were just a month ago now that the new coronavirus has led to social distancing and isolation to limit the spread of COVID-19. Whether working at home – or not working because of a job loss – more people in the U.S. are in their residences just as higher temperatures are set to kick in. Is the electric grid ready as Americans collectively reach for their air conditioners? 

The answer is some combination of yes and we’ll see. The fact is, the current situation is a whole new world for energy providers.

“I can’t conceive of anything that’s comparable in this way,” Con Edison spokesperson Michael Clendenin told AccuWeather. “You have major storms … pass through and you might have outages that last a few days, but this is different. This is a continued thing for a month or more."

Con Edison supplies power to New York City and Westchester County, a suburb just north of New York City -- a region that includes 10 million customers, according to the company, and is smack in the middle of the outbreak's epicenter. “People are working from home, commercial properties are not in full gear, there’s a shift in demand [to private residences] – we’ll have to see what it means,” Clendenin said. 

AccuWeather is predicting higher-than-normal temperatures almost everywhere – from Orlando to Dallas-Fort Worth and out to Burbank, California – over the next three months, based on the exclusive AccuWeather 90-day forecast, which is available at AccuWeather.com (search your city to view the monthly outlook). 

The higher temperature departures -- the actual temperature compared to the average temperature -- do not mean it will be warm all the time; if that were the case, the numbers would be even higher, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. For example, cooler air will be in place through mid-April from the southern Plains to the Southwest, then turning milder. Longer, cooler spells or periods will hold back overall temperatures in parts of the Northeast, northern Plains and northern and central Rockies.

However, the temperature departures will be increased significantly in the Southeast – Florida, in particular – in April and the West, especially California and Nevada, later in April and May. 

Electricity providers told AccuWeather they all are prepared for what’s happening now and for what’s ahead. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

“We have robust plans to ensure that we are able to deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy for our customers – today and for the future,” PEPCO spokesperson Christina Harper told AccuWeather. PEPCO serves 883,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia. “Our crews are working to address ongoing maintenance and upgrades that are necessary to ensure continued reliable energy service and to address any issues that may arise, which we recognize is of utmost importance as more and more people are at home and essential businesses are relying on us more than ever.”

The higher temperatures shouldn't be a problem, either. "We work throughout the year to ensure our system is always prepared," PECO spokesperson Greg Smore told AccuWeather. PECO is Pennsylvania’s largest electric and natural gas utility serving more than 1.6 million electric customers. "This includes long-range planning for extreme temperatures we may experience in the summer and winter months. Because of this forecasting and planning, we do not anticipate current weather forecasts to have an impact on our system."

For now, overall electricity usage is largely unchanged, providers tell AccuWeather; the demand, however, has shifted.

“It’s important to remember that even though we are seeing greater consumption among residential customers staying at home, especially with warmer temperatures in some of our service areas, we’re generally seeing lower usage among many businesses and industry that have temporarily closed or instituted work-from-home practices,” Duke Energy spokesperson Neil Nissan told AccuWeather. Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the U.S., providing electricity to 7.7 million customers in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 

A lone jogger runs on a partially empty 7th Avenue, resulting from citywide restrictions calling for people to stay indoors and maintain social distancing in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, Saturday March 28, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

“It’s kind of a wash right now,” Con Edison’s Clendenin said of recent usage in the New York City area. “I’ve seen reports that put the estimate at 5 to 15 percent higher usage in residential homes, but we are seeing less usage in Manhattan and all of the other boroughs where you have commercial buildings.” 

One plus for Americans is the substantial drop in the prices of natural gas and crude oil over the last year could lead to savings on electricity costs. “Even though it’s going to be a hotter summer, there will probably be lower costs where the electricity costs are brought down in concert with the underlying cost of fuel,” AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers said. Natural gas and oil, among other things, are used in the production of electricity.

Crude oil prices have plummeted 55 percent year-over-year, while natural gas prices are 34 percent lower. “That brings down the price of electricity,” Con Edison’s Clendenin said. “[Customers] will [see lower prices]; the supply cost is a direct pass-through.” 

Energy providers encourage customers to conserve energy to increase their savings. Suggestions from PEPCO’s Harper include: 

  • Set thermostats a few degrees lower when heating and higher when cooling to reduce energy use.

  • Wash full loads of laundry in cold water.

  • Switch to LED light bulbs to cut lighting costs by 70 percent or more.

  • Unplug electronics and turn off lights when not in use.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. 

Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

video

Shark season returning to the Jersey Shore

Jun. 13, 2025
Weather Forecasts

More stormy downpours for northeast US, but heatwave is on horizon

Jun. 16, 2025
Recreation

Skier airlifted after 1,000-foot fall down Colorado mountain

Jun. 16, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

Deadly West Virginia flooding won't be the last of this week

12 hours ago

Severe Weather

Rounds of severe storms to continue in central and eastern US

13 hours ago

Recreation

Tourist falls trying to view Kilauea eruption

16 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

More stormy downpours for northeast US, but heatwave is on horizon

14 hours ago

Astronomy

Will the Aurora Borealis be visible this week?

15 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Recreation

Northern US states try to woo travelers with ‘Canadians-only’ deals

14 hours ago

Astronomy

Summer solstice: Everything to know about the year's longest day

1 week ago

Weather News

5 times the American flag survived extreme weather

15 hours ago

Weather News

Reopening a 688-year-old murder case

18 hours ago

Weather News

6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA

18 hours ago

AccuWeather Business Is the US electric grid ready for changes brought on by coronavirus pandemic?
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...