When Tennessee Valley Authority officials asked customers to reduce their power consumption during an anticipated peak usage four-hour period the morning of Wednesday, January 22nd, they were dead on.
TVA announced later in the day that the Wednesday morning 6-10 a.m., usage period set the all-time record for electric consumption in the utility's 91-year history.
More than 35,319 megawatts of electricity came at 8 a.m., CST, with an average temperature of 11 degrees across the Tennessee Valley.
The good news was TVA's power system remained stable throughout the record usage period, with no interruptions. The bad news will come when residents and commercial customers open their electric bills next month.
When the request was made for customers to reduce their power usage Wednesday morning, TVA officials were quick to say the request did not indicate TVA was experiencing any emergency conditions. Instead, the request was made to help alleviate any supply concerns during the 6-10 a.m., peak period.
TVA's power system remained stable throughout Wednesday morning, and officials credit reduced usage for at least part of that stability.
“It's a testament to employees at TVA and local power companies who work around the clock in the elements to provide power and make sure 10 million people are safe and warm,” said Greg Henrich, TVA Senior Vice President, Grid.
“We also appreciate all of our partners in the Tennessee Valley—residents and businesses—who heeded TVA's call to conserve power during the peak morning hours on Wednesday. Working together, we were able to make history,” he added.
Russellville Electric Board General Manager Derrick Moore said he was contacted by TVA Tuesday with a request for curtailment on Wednesday. Curtailment refers to the reduction of power production, but in some cases, also describes reduction of power consumption, as was the request made by TVA.
That curtailment began with the Russellville Electric Board's own building and offices, as lights not being used were turned off, and thermostats were lowered at both the Electric Board Warehouse and the Russellville Utilities office.
“We also reached out to our top (usage) customers and informed them TVA was calling for curtailment on steps 10 and 20,” Moore said. “That starts with us at the warehouse and at the office, then reaching out to our top customers and asking them to do the same thing,” Moore said.
TVA Step 10 calls for TVA and its local power companies to reduce the electric loads inside their own facilities. Step 20 involves a public appeal for voluntary load reductions by all TVA consumers.
TVA offered several suggested ways to reduce your energy usage, including:
--set your thermostat at 65-68 degrees. Each degree you lower your thermostat can save you as much as three percent on your monthly energy bill.
--postpone use of your clothes dryer, dishwasher and stove/oven during peak times.
--turn off non-essential appliances and lights during peak times.
--For commercial businesses, turn off any lights and office equipment (or place in sleep mode) when not in use and turn off heating outside of business hours.
In fiscal year 2024, TVA invested $430 million to harden its system and enhance the reliability of its natural gas, coal and hydro generating fleet. That included thousands of winter readiness activities. These included reviewing lessons learned and best practices from previous winters, as well as thorough inspections.
The Tennessee Valley continues to grow in number, three-times the national average. As a result, TVA will invest nearly $16 billion over the next several years to build additional generation and infrastructure while also enhancing reliability.
TVA is the nation's largest public power supplier. It delivers energy to more than 10 million people across seven states.
