BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Utilities from North Dakota to Texas have implemented rolling blackouts to ease the burden on power grids that are straining to meet the extreme demand for heat and electricity as record low temperatures persist.
Capital Electric Cooperative, based in Bismarck, said at least 7,000 customers were without power at one point Tuesday. Cooperative spokesman Wes Engbrecht says they had no warning of when the blackouts were coming.
Capital Electric doesn’t have control over who loses power and when, officials said. That’s managed through one of its power suppliers, the Western Area Power Administration, which said the rolling outages could last through Thursday, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
WAPA is a member of the grid operator known as the Southwest Power Pool, which is requiring “controlled interruptions” of electric service throughout its 14-state region that spans the middle of the country from North Dakota to Texas.
Gov. Doug Burgum on a call with WAPA administrator Mark Gabriel urged the agency to provide as much notice to utilities and their customers as possible before shutting off their power.
“While we understand WAPA has received short notice from SPP to reduce load, North Dakotans deserve as much lead time as possible to prepare for rolling blackouts before their service areas are affected,” Burgum said in a statement. “These agencies also must ensure that rolling blackouts don’t have a negative domino effect by sidelining other energy sources from the grid, such as gas processing plants in western North Dakota.”
WAPA said Southwest Power has not been able to notify its members in advance about power cuts due to the “emergency” nature of the situation.
Nearly 3 million customers remained without power early Wednesday in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
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