Energy companies in the Madison area are taking precautions to prevent power shortages as demand for energy to cool homes spikes amid current excessive heat warnings, according to The Capital Times. Madison Gas & Electric (MGE) and Alliant Energy have both experienced rapid demand increase, but both are expected to have sufficient energy-providing capacity.
Energy use is at its highest during summer heat waves, and because the generators that produce electricity must be cooled to a specific temperature to run efficiently, extreme heat reduces the amount of electricity they can produce. Energy use was expected to peak yesterday and today, with temperature highs around 100 degrees expected.
Residents are encouraged to reduce energy use during peak hours, usually between 3–8 p.m., when possible by raising thermostats, using dishwashers outside of these hours, closing blinds to keep rooms cooler, and unplugging electronics not in use.
Building additional electricity generation capacity to keep the grid from experiencing increased stress on high demand days is possible but would present a significant expense to maintain when not in use most of the year.
Both MGE and Alliant run energy-saving programs in which customers can sign up to have their energy use reduced during peak demand hours in exchange for incentives.
