Growing population pushes demand for heat; conserve to help keep grid online
DESTINY. PATTERSON, WRAL, NEWS
LIVE IN WAKE COUNTY.
>> AND WITH HOW COLD IT IS,
DUKE ENERGY IS WORKING
OVERTIME. IT IS WHY THIS
MORNING THEY ASKED CUSTOMERS
TO LIMIT THEIR ENERGY USAGE.
BUT WHY WRAL? SHAUN GALLAGHER
JOINS US NOW. AND SEAN, DID
DUKE ENERGY GIVE YOU ANY
INDICATION AS TO WHY THEY MADE
THIS REQUEST FROM CUSTOMERS
>> WELL, BASICALLY THEY WANT TO
AVOID ANY TEMPORARY OUTAGES
LIKE WE SAW AROUND
CHRISTMASTIME IN 2022. IN THEY
PICKED THIS TIME FRAME BECAUSE
ENERGY USE PEAKS IN THE MORNING
AND WITH THE ADDED IN COLD
TEMPERATURES, THEY ANTICIPATED
THAT THEIR SYSTEMS WILL BE
PUSHED TO THE DUKE ENERGY MADE
THAT REQUEST OF PEOPLE TO
REDUCE POWER FROM 04:00AM UNTIL
10:00AM TODAY. AND THE LOWERING
TEMPERATURES BY LOWERING
TEMPERATURES AND HOMES AVOIDING
USING ANY MAJOR APPLIANCES AND
TURNING OFF UNNECESSARY
DEVICES. DUKE ENERGY TELLS ME
IT WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH A NUMBER
OF CUSTOMERS HEATING THAT
REQUEST. BUT MY BIGGEST
QUESTION FOR DUKE ENERGY, WHY
ARE THEY PREPARED FOR SURGES IN
USE LIKE THIS? HERE'S WHAT THEY
HAD TO SAY.
>> WE ARE SEEING MORE CUSTOMERS
MOVING IN HERE. WE SAYING
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING DATA
CENTERS AND OTHER GROUPS COMING
HERE. BUT IT'S REALLY MORE THE
COMBINATION IT TODAY, MOSTLY
OF RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
THE BUSINESSES OPENING UP AND
DOING THINGS. CERTAINLY A LOT
OF BUSINESSES WERE DELAYED IN
THEIR START TODAY SO THAT
ACTUALLY HELP KEEP DEMAND LOWER
AS WELL. BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE
REASONS THAT WE'RE BUILDING NEW
GENERATION OF THE STATE.
>> NOW, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL
CONTINUE TO BE COLD THIS WEEK,
JEFF BROOKS WITH DUKE ENERGY
TELLS ME THEY ARE ANTICIPATING
REQUESTING REDUCTION FROM
CUSTOMERS AGAIN DURING THIS
STRETCH OF COLD WEATHER.
BUT OF COURSE, THAT COULD
CHANGE. NOW, HE ALSO TELLS ME
HE'S RECEIVED QUESTIONS ABOUT
ITS DATA CENTERS ARE TO BLAME
FOR THIS REQUEST IN REDUCTION.
HE SAYS DATA CENTERS ONLY MAKE
UP ABOUT ONE PERCENT OF THEIR
PEAK USAGE AND THEY HAVE BEEN
ONLINE FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS NOW
WITH DUKE. SO HE SAYS THEY ARE
NOT TO BLAME FOR THESE REQUESTS