Eugene Water and Electric Board asks customers to conserve energy through Wednesday - KEZI TV
Eugene Water and Electric Board asks customers to conserve energy through Wednesday | News | kezi.com
EUGENE, Ore. – Eugene Water and Electric Board officials are asking customers to voluntarily reduce their energy usage through Wednesday and particularly between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., according to the utility company.
EWEB said continued hot weather and the impacts of wildfire smoke in the area have strained the regional power grid and market prices for electricity are currently at exceedingly high rates. Under normal conditions, EWEB pays between $30 and $50 per megawatt hour, but presently at peak times the prices are ranging between $1,000 and $1,700 per megawatt hour, EWEB officials said.
The utility company said that wildfire conditions throughout the region have shut down several regional generators, including EWEB’s Carmen-Smith hydroelectric facility on the McKenzie River, which has been affected by the Lookout Fire.
Shutting down the Carmen-Smith generator required EWEB to purchase power elsewhere on the market, where prices have been driven up by current supply and demand conditions, EWEB said.
EWEB officials are not forecasting any emergency power shutoffs or rolling blackouts, but said that reliability could be impacted if other regional generators are forced offline.
“We are not panicked, and we don’t want our customers to panic,” says Brian Booth, EWEB’s chief energy resource officer. “But if customers can take some simple steps to reduce or shift their electricity usage, it can reduce costs and relieve some of the strain on the grid during these extreme conditions.”
EWEB officials said that avoiding charging electric vehicles and setting air conditioner units to 74 degrees or higher are ways to save energy. Using smaller countertop appliances instead of a stove or oven, delaying the use of a clothes dryer or dishwasher, and turning off unnecessary lights or electronics are also recommended, EWEB said.
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