With temperatures falling into single digits across most of the Tennessee Valley this morning, TVA expects to reach its highest winter power demand today since 2015.
Temperatures dipped this morning to their lowest level of the winter as an arctic blast brought subfreezing temperatures across most of the Eastern half of the United States. With most homes in the Tennessee Valley heated with electricity, the frigid weather is boosting power demand as homeowners and businesses turn up furnaces and heaters to cope with the cold.
On New Year’s Day, when temperatures dipped into the teens in Chattanooga and into single digits in parts of TVA’s 7-state region, TVA set a record Monday for the highest power consumption ever for a holiday – and the 21st highest total consumption for one day in TVA’s 85-year history – at 28,800 megawatts at the peak and 652 gigawatt hours through the entire day.
TVA expects the demand to be even higher today, reaching a peak of more than 30,000 megawatts this morning with even colder temperatures and most businesses reopening after the 3-day holiday weekend.
At 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today, the average temperature in Chattanooga and the four other major cities in the TVA region was only 9 degrees Fahrenheit, or 20 degrees below average for this time of the year. Today’s high temperature in Chattanooga is expected to remain just below freezing for the entire today, although temperatures could rise to 40 degrees on Wednesday in Chattanooga. The sub-freezing cold weather is expected to remain in the Tennessee Valley through most of the week.
TVA spokesman Scott Fiedler said the utility doesn’t expect to have any trouble meeting the peak demands this week. But TVA is urging consumers to limit their consumption and their heating bills by making sure their windows and doors are sealed and reducing any unnecessary lighting, long showers or other unnecessary power consumption.
“We’re able to meet the demand, but we appreciate the public’s help in trying to limit some of their energy use, not only to limit our peak demand but to save money and keep more money in people’s pockets,” Fiedler said.
TVA is offering some reprieve to the frigid start of 2018. Power rates will be down slightly compared with a year ago due to a drop in fuel cost adjustments for January.