Updated: TVA says the blackouts are no longer needed.
Hopkinsville Electric System and Pennyrile Electric are heeding a TVA request Friday to utilize ‘rotating outages’ to help reduce demand on a strained power supply system.
HES General Manager Jeff Hurd says TVA asked all of its providers to reduce their usage during this cold spell and the process was beginning around 11 a.m.
Hurd says the 15-30 minute outages are an inconvenience, but they are necessary to prevent the larger system from failing.
It’s unknown how long the rotating outages will last, as the decision will be based on what power TVA can produce and the demand.
Hurd says as he understands it, there have been some issues with producing sufficient power at the Paradise natural gas plant during this historic cold.
When your power is on, the utilities ask you to further reduce your energy consumption by turning off unnecessary lights, appliances and other electronics.