KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority said power demand reached a new all-time system high Wednesday morning, as temperatures plummeted into the single digits. The TVA said it recorded an average system of around 4 degrees as the preliminary peak power demand increased to around 34,562 megawatts.
The previous record was set in August 2007 at 33,482 megawatts, the TVA said on social media. It asked people across East Tennessee to conserve power and take some small steps to reduce strain on the power grid.
People can lower their thermostats, put off using big appliances like dishwashers and dryers, and stop "non-essential" use of electricity such as decorative lighting to ease demand on the grid.
"We are expecting things to stay steady, at least to the weekend," said Scott Brooks, a spokesperson with TVA. "If people want to take the steps to take the steps to help us conserve, we certainly would appreciate it. But we don't have any orders or anything like that out tonight."
He said steps people across the region took Wednesday morning to conserve electricity helped TVA meet power demand, ensuring they could continue safely and reliably powering homes and businesses.
"Extremely cold temperatures across the region continue to drive up the demand for electricity. The TVA electric grid is stable, and our generating facilities are performing well," TVA said on social media.
Another chance of wintry weather is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, after a wave of snow and frigid temperatures already swept through East Tennessee earlier in the week. Temperatures are also expected to fall into the single digits again Wednesday night.