HARRIMAN, Tenn. — The TVA and Harriman Utility Board have scheduled a power outage that will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9, starting at 11:30 p.m. until 6 a.m. or sooner on Sunday morning, Nov. 10.
The power outage will improve reliability at the Harriman 161 kilovolt substation.
Approximately 3,700 customers will be impacted by the outage.
Areas affected include Oakdale, Boswell Chapel, Margrave, Bazel Road, Swan Pond, West Hills, Pine Hills, Emory Heights, Riggs Chapel, Emory Gap, Ruritan Road, Cardiff Valley and Midtown.
Many impacted customers are wondering why TVA planned the outage on a night where temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s.
We asked TVA, and a spokesperson told us the work could not be done earlier in the year because temperatures were too high.
"So this outage was actually planned for late summer, but as you know we had unseasonably high temperatures and high electrical demands. So we ended up rescheduling several times. We have a plan for this weekend. We're afraid if we wait much longer it could get even colder and we could get into the Thanksgiving holiday and affect family Thanksgiving plans," said Scott Gureck, TVA Public Relations Manager.
TVA has a few tips for anyone worried about not having heat during the outage.
- Turn up thermostats leading up to the outage
- Wear extra layers
- Have blankets handy
- Make sure cell phone is charged before the outage
Gureck said that the work could go quicker than expected, so the outage may end earlier than 6 a.m.
The TVA is investing $2.2 billion Valley-wide in transmission system improvements over five years to continue its mission of providing low cost, reliable power.