UDWI Alerts Members of the Possibility of Rolling Blackouts

Local Sources— The Utilities District of Western Indiana is warning members of potential rolling blackouts. 

With temperatures projected in the upper 90s starting June 13, energy demand is expected to be extremely high all week. UDWI REMC is therefore alerting members of the possibility of rolling blackouts in our region. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), an independent, nonprofit organization that controls the electrical grid in the middle part of the United States, issued a Capacity Alert warning that it may have a shortage of available energy capacity during peak usage times this week.

The shortage is due in part to the closing of coal-fired generation plants across the country, and the high demand for power. This significantly raises the possibility of the requirement from MISO for rolling blackouts to prevent widespread damage to the electrical grid and prolonged outages.

In a grid-wide emergency, UDWI will be called upon to undertake rolling blackouts. Rolling blackouts are designed to reduce the strain on the electric grid by temporarily shutting down power across parts of a utility’s service area. We are working on plans along with Hoosier Energy, our energy supplier, to manage the situation if we are ordered by MISO to reduce the electric load on the grid. Critical locations such as first responders, police and fire stations will not be affected, and we will do our best to make the outage times for members as short as possible and keep you well informed.

A rolling blackout typically lasts 30 minutes per location before rolling to the next area. We do not know exactly if or when each member will be affected by a rolling blackout. If you have a medical condition that requires electricity, please make sure you have a backup plan in place in the event of a rolling blackout.

To help prevent the need for rolling blackouts, consider cutting back on your energy usage during peak times (typically 2-8 p.m., Monday through Friday) by setting your air conditioner thermostats up a few degrees and putting off running dishwashers, clothes dryers, pool pumps and other non-essential electric devices during this period.