Update February 17 11:15 a.m.
According to NPPC CEO Thomas Kent, NPPD was notified that the Southwest Power Pool would be moving into Phase 3 at 9:00 am today. However, Kent said the system looks better than was anticipated or feared at this point, so the SPP will remain in a Phase 2 Energy Emergency.
"This is good news, but we are not out of the woods yet," said Kent.
. . .
NPPD HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT SPP WILL BE MOVING TO AN ENERGY EMERGENCY ALERT LEVEL 3 AT 9 A.M (CST) on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. This may affect service to our customers. We will have very little, if any, notice of where these interruptions may take place. Please prepare for outages lasting 45 minutes or longer.
System constraints are managed by SPP reliability coordinators and its member utilities. Energy Emergency Alerts include three levels.Level 1 indicates all available generation resources are in use. Level 2 indicates load management procedures are in effect. Level 3 indicates firm load interruptions are imminent or in progress.
NPPD is asking customers to conserve energy. The record cold forecast is putting a high demand on the electrical system. Follow these tips to reduce your energy usage:
- Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees and lower at night.
- Close shades and blinds.
- Turn off and un-plug non-essential lights and appliances.
- Close the fireplace damper when not in use.
- Avoid using large appliances
- Business should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
- Do not connect a generator to your home's electrical system. Consult a licensed electrician.
- Do not use any grilling equipment for heat indoors