Greet the Heat

Searing temperatures have blazed across the US this week as a record-breaking heat wave pushes the mercury to the 100 degree mark and beyond, carving a scorching swath that now looms on the eastern seaboard. As if the ever-present dangers of wildfires, drought, dehydration and heat exhaustion weren’t enough, a heat wave like this poses even more challenges for electricity companies in the affected areas.

Several utilities in the eastern coastal states are bracing for what they are expecting will amount to tremendous strain on the power grids. More and more citizens, hoping to create their own refrigerated refuge, will likely crank up the air conditioning, keep the thermostat lower and leave it running constantly. The longer the heat wave, the higher the energy spikes.

Utilities Orange and Rockland, NSTAR and PPL have begun posting alerts and discussing proactive measures in preparation for the blistering days ahead. They are urging citizens in the Mid-Atlantic states to be vigilant about their energy consumption, as well as employing their own set of strategies for dealing with the heat wave:

Zone Defense

New Jersey – Orange & Rockland

Amidst the myriad weather warnings and alerts, Orange & Rockland (O&R) Utilities, which serves about 75,000 residents in North Jersey, issued its own heat advisory last Monday. As usage on the utility’s electric system rose past the 1300 Megawatt threshold, the company’s status was raised to ‘heat-watch’ and prompted the alerts.  Non-essential maintenance and any grid servicing that isn’t an emergency will be postponed.

O&R is telling its electricity customers to set their air conditioner’s fan to a low setting and use fans to help keep the cooled air circulating. They recommend drawing shades, closing blinds and curtains and keeping doors and windows well sealed. Keep thermostats at reasonable levels, and turn it off when no one is home.

Massachusetts – NSTAR

Citizens in Boston are strangers to triple-digit heat, but as the heat wave rolls into Massachusetts, NSTAR is helping to ensure they are well prepared nonetheless. The utility serves about a million electricity customers across the Bay State. NSTAR employs tenacious maintenance and upgrade activities on the grid during the rest of the more temperate seasons of the year in preparation for the peak summer months.

Throughout the heat wave and the hotter summer days, work crews will be devoted only to emergencies, forgoing routine and non-essential maintenance. NSTAR encourages customers to mindful of the thermostat, keep cool air inside and heat and sunlight out, cook meals on the grill to reduce power usage and extra heat in the kitchen. In addition to conservation advice and tips on keeping cool, the utility is offering a $500 rebate toward the purchase and installation of high-efficiency central AC systems. Get the details at nstar.com.

Pennsylvania – PPL

Consistent mid-90’s temps are unseasonably burtal, even for summer, for Pennsylvania electricity customers. As the heat wave settles in on Pennsylvania, PPL is watching the grid and communicating with its customers with advice on getting through the scorcher. Not sense the summer of 2006 has PPL experienced this type of spike in power demand, and they expect the weekend to push the usage higher as the heat wave peaks.

PPL Electric Utilities is asking residents to conserve electricity and try to avoid setting the thermostat too low. System operators for PPL remain vigilant, watching the grid to ensure reliability and react to potential overloads. The utility will also keep extra field technicians on call during periods where the extreme heat could affect electric service to customers.  As with all utilities dealing with the heat wave, PPL offers tips on conserving power and staying cool.

Replace your A/C filter if it’s dirty, try to cook outdoors and don’t use dishwashers, clothes dryers, ovens, stoves or other heat-producing appliances during the hottest parts of the day to help keep the grid stable and electricity prices down.