Earlier this week, officials from the Tennessee Valley Authority warned that the June power demand was high — so high, in fact, that it set a record on Monday, June 13.
The record stood three days.
As of 6 PM Thursday, TVA’s power system reliably provided 31,617 megawatts of energy to a region, whose average temperature was 97 degrees.
From Monday through Thursday, TVA’s diverse generation assets and resilient transmission system have met three of the four highest June power demands on record, which covers nearly nine decades of data.
Officials from TVA said the public’s greatest asset during these times are the thousands of dedicated women and men working for their organization and the local power companies across the region — which services 10 million individuals and more than 700,000 businesses.
Though a brief reprieve has arrived for Friday and this Father’s Day weekend, hot and humid weather expected early next week will once again test the TVA grid.
As such, TVA and local power companies are encouraging users to join together in conserving power and saving money, especially between the hours of 2-6 PM, by taking a few courteous steps:
— Turn up your thermostat: even one or two degrees can change a bill, without sacrificing comfort or health.
— Use ceiling and portable fans to circulate air: they use less energy than air conditioners and central units.
— Close window coverings on the sunny side of homes and businesses.