Little Rock, Arkansas – Power companies predict that as the intense heat arrives in Central Arkansas, energy use will be close to records.
It’s not just at record levels, said to Heather Kendrick, spokesman for Entergy Arkansas; it’s also dangerous.
“It’s dangerous for any Arkansan out there to be out in the heat of the day,” Kendrick said. “We’ve seen some data that shows that energy use for June, July, and August is at record levels already, and we’re not even all the way through August.”
In an effort to avoid the heat, many of us have already lowered the thermostat.
You might imagine what occurs when there is such great strain on the grid—blackouts—with so many people using so much electricity.
Although Kendrick claimed that the heat isn’t good for them, that is still a long way off.
“As a company, Entergy Arkansas does not have concerns about power generation and power availability,” she said.
Not only Entergy, but MISO, the Midcontinent Independent Service Operator of our grid, which supplies a significant portion of our electricity in Central Arkansas, has been examining use.
“The grid is stable, we’ll do everything we can to keep the lights on,” MISO Spokesperson Brandon Morris said. “Our South region, our equipment is built to sustain the heat.”
Morris outlined the backup plans in place to guarantee that the lights and air conditioning remain on.
Although there are other systems in place as well to guarantee that.
“Our company doesn’t disconnect anyone, period when it’s more than 95 degrees,” Kendrick said. “So disconnects are not a worry when it’s this hot.”
It will remain hot in Central Arkansas through at least Sunday, which is a tough stretch. Above all else, they prioritize keeping consumers calm, according to Kendrick.
“We don’t want people to not run their air conditioner, we don’t want them to get sick or have any kind of heat-related illness or complications because they’re scared of a high bill or increased energy usage,” Kendrick described.