Beech Tree News Network

TVA cites high demand and record cold temperatures as factors

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Facing criticism and questions from some over limiting power during the recent cold snap during the Christmas holiday, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has released a statement taking responsibility for their actions and explaining to customers the rationale for the decisions they made regarding the curtailing of electricity during the time period in question.  TVA’s actions resulted in WarrenRECC customers experiencing rolling blackouts ranging 15 to 30 minutes in certain locations.  TVA has pledged to conduct a full review of the situation in an effort to prevent future power reductions.  

Below is TVA’s full statement:  

"We at TVA take full responsibility for the impact we had on our customers. We never want to impact anyone’s energy at any time. This is not the way we want to serve our communities and customers.

We are conducting a thorough review of what occurred and why. We are committed to sharing these lessons learned and – more importantly – the corrective actions we take in the weeks ahead to ensure we are prepared to manage significant events in the future.

With sustained record-breaking cold temperatures and high winds, winter storm “Elliott” strained power grids across the nation late last week. During a 24-hour period on Friday, Dec. 23, TVA supplied more power than at any other time in its nearly 90-year history. This event also produced the highest winter power peak in TVA history. 

It was also the first time in TVA’s 90-year history that we’ve had to direct targeted load curtailments due to extreme power demand.

On two occasions during a 24-hour period, TVA directed local power companies to reduce power consumption. On Friday, Dec. 23, a 5 percent system-wide power consumption reduction for two hours and 15 minutes. And on Saturday, Dec. 24, a system-wide power consumption reduction in 5-10 percent curtailments for 5 hours and 40 minutes.  Most of the local power companies were able to target power reductions that impacted customers for relatively short durations. We greatly appreciate their partnership and support throughout this event.

We will learn from this unprecedented event and are committed to providing you with the reliable service you expect and deserve."