With temperatures in Chattanooga expected to drop Wednesday morning to their lowest level in the past decade, the Tennessee Valley Authority is appealing to customers to conserve electricity use between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wednesday, when TVA expects power consumption in the Tennessee Valley will reach a new record high.
Electric and gas utilities in Chattanooga are invoking agreements with major industries to curtail consumption, but utility officials said they don't expect power outages like the ones during Winter Storm Elliott 13 months ago.
The National Weather Service predicts the mercury will dip in Chattanooga to 7 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday morning, matching the low temperature reached on Dec. 23, 2022, when frozen coal and gas plant equipment forced TVA to impose rolling blackouts across its seven-state region for the first time in TVA's 90-year history.
With the wind chill index expected to dip to around zero in Chattanooga on Wednesday — and even colder across much of the Tennessee Valley — TVA projects that furnaces and heaters will push up electricity consumption above TVA's previous all-time record high of 33,482 megawatts reached during a heat wave in 2007.
"Colder temperatures mean more people are turning to electrified heat sources, pushing demand higher," TVA spokesperson Scott Fiedler said in a statement Tuesday. "We are forecasting single digits for the system average Wednesday and are expecting to challenge our all-time peak."
Both TVA and Chattanooga Gas Co. began curtailing energy supplies Tuesday to industrial customers under contracts that give utilities the ability to curtail some electricity or gas deliveries during select periods in exchange for discounted power rates. A handful of major gas users in Hamilton and Bradley counties were affected by the curtailment. EPB has such contracts with a half dozen customers.
Chattanooga Gas officials, like those at TVA, said they have made preparations for the cold weather and don't anticipate any problems meeting demand during the frigid weather.
"We have made significant investments in our infrastructure in the past several years so we are not anticipating any pressure issues," Jason Willard, director of external affairs for Chattanooga Gas, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "Obviously, anything can happen in this weather, but our system is in great shape and is probably the best that it has ever been."
Chattanooga Gas, which supplies natural gas to about 72,000 customers in Hamilton and Bradley counties, maintains a liquefied natural gas plant in Chattanooga that can be used to store and retrieve natural gas supplies during peak demand periods.
Demand side
Fiedler said TVA's power system remains stable, but TVA and local power companies like EPB are urging customers to try not to use appliances like dryers and dishwashers before 10 a.m. Wednesday, when temperatures will be the coldest and power demand will be the greatest.
"Conservation requests are often used in the power industry to help lower demand during a specific time and does not indicate TVA is experiencing emergency conditions," Fiedler said.
TVA and its distributors have lowered thermostats in their offices, and TVA is keeping lights off in buildings and plants when it is safe to do so to help limit power demand, Fiedler said.
Since Winter Storm Elliott in late 2022 forced rolling blackouts for TVA, the utility has upgraded instrument lines and equipment at its biggest coal plant and its natural gas generators to ensure they continue operations, unlike during the December 2022 storms. TVA also has added 1,500 megawatts of additional natural gas generation at former coal plant sites in Alabama and Kentucky in the past year.
Big snowfall
The temperatures in Chattanooga this week are being pushed down by the snowfall that blanketed much of the Chattanooga area. At the Chattanooga airport, the National Weather Service recorded 2.1 inches of snow Monday, which was the highest snowfall in Chattanooga since February 2020, when 2.7 inches of snow was recorded in Chattanooga.
"The high on Wednesday in Chattanooga is expected to be around 32 degrees, so we may not get above freezing until Thursday afternoon," Lyle Wilson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "This Arctic air mass, combined with the snow we already have on the ground, are pushing temperatures down well below normal."
(READ MORE: Chattanooga City Council meeting canceled amid weather-related closures)
The normal low for this time of the year in Chattanooga is 32 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Consumer tips
To help reduce energy use and limit some of the costs for consumer power bills, TVA suggests consumers:
— Set your thermostat to 65-68 degrees. You can save as much as 10% per year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat down 7-10 degrees for eight hours a day in the fall and winter.
— Ensure window coverings on the sunny side of your house are open.
— Unplug unused electronics.
— Unblock your air vents.
— Reduce your energy usage by turning off non-essential appliances and lights and refrain from using large appliances during the coldest part of the day.
— Postpone use of hot water and adjust water heater's temperature.
— Weatherstrip doors and windows.
— Commercial Business: Turn off any lights and office equipment (or place in sleep mode) when not in use and turn off air-conditioning/heating outside of business hours.
Power demand will be eased somewhat by the closing of most area schools and colleges again on Wednesday, along with some businesses and restaurants.
Freezing pipes
The subfreezing weather could create challenges for water lines for some households and businesses. Tennessee-American Water Co., the state's biggest privately owned water utility that supplies water throughout the Chattanooga area, is preparing for potential water line breaks from frozen pipes.
"Like any day, we are prepared to respond to water service emergencies," Daphne Kirksey, a spokesperson for Tennessee American, said in an emailed statement Tuesday. "We know to expect a higher volume of emergency calls from customers and have crews available to assist during extreme weather."
Kirksey said the water utility encourages customers to check with their neighbors if they are experiencing water loss. If other homes around them are not, it is likely due to their internal plumbing.
"They should follow our winter weather tips at that point by shutting off their main valve and thawing the pipes with warm air safely," Kirksey said. "Before turning the water back on, check for leaks."
Both customers and non-customers can easily report a main break at tennesseeamwater.com.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.