Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which is the entity responsible for maintaining the integrity of our grid in the middle part of the US, has issued a level 3 emergency this morning. Extreme cold weather has led to region-wide electricity use that exceeds available generation across the plains of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Planned outages or “rolling blackouts” are occurring across Oklahoma today. It is possible that PEC may be required to participate in these rolling blackouts as well. Because of this, if SPP feels that a planned outage is necessary on your circuit to avoid larger outages for longer periods of time, we will be directed to disconnect that circuit. We are hearing the outages shouldn’t last longer than two hours, however, that is not a set time. We want you to be prepared for the possibility of a planned outage.
What Does This Mean for Me?
You could face a temporary outage at some point during the next few days. While PEC will do its best to notify members of any potential power outage, it is highly likely that we will not know who will be affected until moments before the outage occurs.
What Do I Do?
Prepare. While we hope that these measures are not necessary, it is a reality as it has happened in other parts of our state and region. Prepare as you would for any potential extended outage by visiting our Preparing for Power Outages from Winter Storms press release.
Are There Steps to Take After Power is Restored?
When your power is restored, please remember to be cautious as you begin to turn large appliances back on. This needs to be done in 15-minute increments. Also, increase your heat slowly by two degrees every 30 minutes.
These outages will continue until the Southwest Power Pool authorizes a return to normal operations. Thank you for your patience and continued energy conservation efforts.