Action requested due to demand potentially exceeding available generation
A note from Entergy:
Our power reliability coordinator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, is requesting Entergy customers voluntarily reduce their electricity usage on Thursday, Jan. 18, between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. MISO is making this unusual request because use of electricity could exceed available generation, due to higher than expected demand for power and unexpected power generator outages within the MISO southern territory. MISO is working to bring on additional generation in the area.
The higher than expected demand is due to the unusually cold temperatures that moved into the territory over the past few days.
MISO is making similar requests to utilities across the Midwest, including other utilities near our service area. If the power supply cannot meet the demand, then periodic power outages would be needed.
“We apologize for any inconvenience,” said Dennis Dawsey, Entergy’s vice president for customer service in Louisiana. “The arctic blast is driving up electricity usage. This is an unusual situation MISO is working to correct as soon as possible.” Dawsey added that the request does not apply to elderly customers or those with special health concerns.
Entergy joined MISO, one of the nation's largest regional transmission organizations, in December 2013. MISO comprises a pool of electricity generators and users that stretches from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
To balance the power demand with supply, Entergy has special agreements with some industrial and wholesale customers that allow for power curtailments. Some ways residential customers can reduce electricity usage include:
- Lower the thermostat to 68 degrees or lower.
- Delay laundry, washing dishes, bathing, etc., until later in the day.
- Don’t allow warm air to escape from the home. Check caulking around doors and windows and fill holes and gaps where wiring and pipes enter the house.