With a heat wave pushing temperatures well into the 90s across the entire Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region, power demand is going up. The power system remains stable and thousands of public power workers at TVA, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES), and other local power companies are working hard in challenging conditions to keep it that way.
TVA and the 153 local power companies have raised their thermostats and taken other energy savings measures to help conserve electricity. We are asking the public to join us in taking some simple steps to reduce power use.
- Air conditioners use a lot of electricity. If you use fans along with A/C you can raise your thermostat by a degree or two and stay safe and cool.
- Major appliances like washers, dryers, and dishwashers use a lot of energy and heat up your home. Run them after 8 p.m. or early in the morning to keep cool while conserving energy and saving money.
- Close your blinds or curtains on the sunny side of your home to keep it cooler.
- Cook in microwaves or other small appliances or use an outside grill to avoid heating up your house.
“BTES has joined TVA and the other local power companies in reducing power usage at our facilities by adjusting thermostats, reducing lighting, and taking other measures to reduce electricity consumption,” said Clayton Dowell, CEO of BTES. “Small conservation efforts made on a large scale across our community can have a big impact on the available power supply.”
Status reports on the power situation will be provided on TVA’s and BTES’ Facebook pages. TVA and BTES are working around the clock to make power available to customers.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 153 local power distributors that serve approximately 9 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
BTES is a municipally owned electric utility that also provides high-speed Internet, telephone, and video services over a fiber optic network. BTES has more than 34,000 electric customers in a 280-square-mile service area in the City of Bristol and Sullivan County, Tennessee.
