Duke says conservation working

subscribe

Duke Energy Corp. said conservation programs it activated August 9 meant to shave power demand by interrupting service for some commercial and industrial volunteers have been working.

All 45 Carolinas power plants have been operating amid a record heat wave in the Charlotte-area. And the company reported an all-time record of 18,988 megawatts of demand on August 8. It activated the programs the following day, which was hotter, and reduced demand to 18,907.

Duke's system in the Carolinas, when completely healthy, can produce about 21,000 megawatts. But outages are commonplace, and the system could not crank out that much power all the time.

About 150 commercial and industrial customers have signed up to be volunteers to be shut off in times of high demand in exchange for power bill rebates.

"We literally interrupt the service," said Duke spokesman Paige Sheehan. "It's something they build into their business plans."

Duke was asking customers to conserve by tweaking thermostats and turning off unneeded lights. Peak demand times usually occur in the late afternoon and early evening during hot weather. Residents are returning home and businesses are still open.

Related News

newfoundland power

Quebec's electricity ambitions reopen old wounds in Newfoundland and Labrador

OTTAWA - As Quebec prepares to ramp up electricity production to meet its ambitious economic goals, the government is trying to extend a power deal that has caused decades of resentment in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Around 15 per cent of Quebec's electricity comes from the Churchill Falls dam in Labrador, through a deal set to expire in 2041 that is widely seen as unfair. Quebec Premier François Legault not only wants to extend the agreement, he wants another dam on the Churchill River to help make his province what he has called a "world leader for the green economy."

But renewing that…

READ MORE
substation

Russian Strikes Threaten Ukraine's Power Grid

READ MORE

powerlines

End of an Era: UK's Last Coal Power Station Goes Offline

READ MORE

yukon nuclear

Modular nuclear reactors a 'long shot' worth studying, says Yukon gov't

READ MORE

powerlines

Biden administration pushes to revitalize coal communities with clean energy projects

READ MORE