Hang on, here comes the heat -- are energy providers ready? And are you?
Beating the heat, tubers float the Guadalupe River, Thursday, July 18, 2019, in New Braunfels, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Rising temperatures and falling thermostats move symbiotically during hot summer months, as Americans lower their thermostats for air-conditioned relief from the heat.
The weekend heat wave scorching much of the United States should be no different. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will be well over 100 degrees F in a number of cities, including New York City, Baltimore, Harrisburg, and Hartford, which figures to put a strain on the energy grid. That might leave energy-conscious people who also don't want to swelter wondering what temperature they should set their thermostat to during the throes of the heat wave.
“We ask that our customers set their thermostat at 78 degrees," Pepco media relations manager Christina Harper told AccuWeather. "I know that sounds hot," Harper laughed, "but it’s 22 degrees cooler than what’s expected in the forecast."
But there are many who will keep the thermostat set far below 78 -- and that’s not exactly a surprise to energy providers, who know summer months are the time for peak energy demand. They have prepared accordingly, several energy providers told AccuWeather.
“It’s when our customers need us the most,” PECO spokesman Greg Smore told AccuWeather. “Whenever you have those highest-demand days, that’s when all of the work that you put into the system year-round starts to pay off.”
PECO, Pennsylvania’s largest electric and natural gas utility serving more than 1.6 million electric customers, and other energy providers prepare for the summer demand by testing their processes and procedures in the fall and spring to enhance capacity, and also test and drill for storm response.
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. Duke Energy spokesman Neil Nissan told AccuWeather, “We design our system to meet our customers’ needs during the peak summer season always. We don’t foresee any issues [this weekend] … but if something were to occur to reduce the amount of energy available, we have a number of options we could do.”
Perhaps the most visible option is readying additional crews to respond to possible power outages in order to get customers back online as quickly as possible. “This week, our field crews are working overtime so that they can respond quickly and safely to any outages that may occur,” DTE Energy senior communications specialist Je’well Pearson emailed AccuWeather. DTE Energy serves 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan.
Air conditioners are set to become a top driver in global energy demand over the next 30 years.
“From a readiness perspective, we’re treating this like any kind of upcoming weather event,” Harper said. Pepco serves 883,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia. “We’re closely monitoring things and we have additional staff ready to respond ... We work around the clock if those type of outages occur until all of our customers are restored.”
In the meantime, it’s the little things that count, the energy providers said. Don’t cool an empty house, use fans to circulate air in occupied rooms, close shades and blinds and run heat-producing appliances like clothes dryers and ovens at night, they advise.
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