BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — As temperatures rise across the area at least one local power utility is warning of potential rolling blackouts.
Utilities District of Western Indiana, or UDWI REMC, says that energy demand is expected to be extremely high all week.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), an independent, nonprofit organization that controls the electrical grid in the middle part of the United States, issued a Capacity Alert warning that it may have a shortage of available energy capacity during peak usage times this week.
UDWI REMC Release
Rolling blackouts are a tool used by power companies to lessen the strain on the electric grid by temporarily shutting down power across parts of a service area. UDWI says officials are working with Hoosier Energy to plan ahead should they be asked to implement blackouts.
Critical locations such as first responders, police and fire stations will not be affected, and we will do our best to make the outage times for members as short as possible and keep you well informed.
UDWI REMC Release
Residents with medical conditions requiring electricity are advised to have a backup plan in place if a rolling blackout occurs. Blackouts typically last for 30 minutes per location before rolling to a new area.
To help prevent the need for rolling blackouts, customers are asked to consider cutting back on energy usage during the peak times of 2-8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Other tips include setting air conditioner thermostats a few degrees higher, putting off running the dishwasher, clothes dryers, pool pumps, and other non-essential devices during those hours.
