PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Though temperatures may set daily records, they’re not expected to reach historic highs they way they did in June 2021. However PGE officials said they still expect major strain on the power grid.
Andrea Platt with PGE said the company learned from last year and is staying prepared for this heat wave. Last year, PGE set a record — 4340 megawatts, about 1000 megawatts more than a typical year.
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Even with the expected extra strain, Platt said they have contingencies in place for that.
“We’ve got our large dispatchable standby generation program ready so that we can pull extra energy should the grid need crews on hand should outages occur,” she told KOIN 6 News. “And just as we did last year, we’ve deployed special equipment to help cool our equipment to reduce the strain from the sustained high temperatures.”
There are tips people should know to help prevent outages. Little shifts, like closing your blinds or window coverings, will help, as will closing your blinds while your AC unit is running. That will help the AC run more efficiently.
And raising your thermostat to 76 degrees can helps save the average customer about $13 on their monthly bill.
Platt said it’s always good to be prepared.
“Never say never and we can see outages just as we do in less extraordinary times,” she said. “So get that flashlight, batteries, think about snacks and shop stable foods. Maybe pack some ice or water into plastic bags. Keep them in your freezer so your perishable can stay cool should your power go out. Make sure you have the sync car chargers for your electronics. Good things that you would need should your power go out.”