Alabama power outages: TVA stops rolling blackouts

Update 12:04 p.m. – Though the Tennessee Valley Authority ended mandatory power blackouts, thousands of Alabamians remained without power on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier on Christmas Eve, TVA implemented the mandatory service disruptions to conserve energy amid what officials called an “extreme weather event.”

By noon, people across the state still dealt with power outages unrelated to the TVA blackouts.

About 1,000 Alabama Power customers in central and south Alabama were affected by active power outages as of 12 p.m. Saturday, a decline from an early-morning high of over 6,000 customers.

Alabama Power spokesman Michael Sznajderman said the company is “meeting customer demand” and does not anticipate enacting any temporary outages at this time.

“We are recommending that customers find ways to save on energy right now, so that they don’t experience higher than normal bills later on because of the extraordinary cold,” he told AL.com.

Huntsville-area outages also left about 1,100 Huntsville Utilities customers without power, according to the local power service. Huntsville Utilities customers still without power should report any outages at 256-53-LIGHT.

Earlier reports continue below:

“We recognize that these planned temporary disruptions are a challenge, but it was needed to maintain grid stability for 10 million people across seven states,” TVA said Saturday at about 11 a.m when it announced an end to the rolling blackouts. “Thank you for doing your part, conserving energy, and helping us manage this extreme weather event.”

No further blackouts are planned at this time, according to TVA. But north Alabama customers are encouraged to continue limiting electric use throughout the day.

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Rolling blackouts began in some parts of north Alabama on Christmas Eve as the Tennessee Valley Authority directed local power companies to reduce demand amid “unprecedented” low temperatures.

“Due to continued unprecedented cold temps resulting in high power demand, TVA has directed local power companies to reduce load,” the utility said in a statement just after 7 a.m. Saturday. “Planned intermittent interruptions support system reliability. We appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we manage this unprecedented demand.”

Huntsville Utilities and other providers across the area announced that customers would experience intermittent power outages in intervals of approximately 30 minutes.

In a statement, the local utility in Huntsville said that the blackouts are mandatory because TVA “initiated Step 50 of its Emergency Load Curtailment Program.”

TVA services 153 local power companies across seven states, including much of north Alabama and the entire Tennessee Valley. In Alabama, TVA coverage stretches from Cherokee, Cullman and Franklin counties to the Tennessee state line. It also covers Bessemer and Tarrant.

“Customers are still asked to continue voluntary curtailment by limiting their electric use to essential items only,” Huntsville Utilities said in its statement Saturday morning.

Electric and gas customers can help maintain conservation efforts by taking the following steps:

• Lower thermostats by just one or two degrees: It’s recommended to keep thermostats to the 65-68 degree range
• Turn off unnecessary lights and electronics
• Delay doing laundry or running a dishwasher until the warmest part of the day
• When the sun is out, open window coverings on the sunny side of homes and offices, but close window coverings at night and when the sun isn’t brightly shining.
• If windows are drafty, install insulating drapes, or weather sealing tape to prevent air from seeping in
• Limit use of natural gas fireplaces and hot water

Temperatures are expected to remain well below freezing across much of central and north Alabama, with wind chills falling below zero. Hard freeze warnings will be in place for the southern two-thirds of the state until Monday morning.

Just after 10 a.m. Saturday morning, Alabama Power reported 153 active outages affecting more than 4,600 customers across the state.

Editor’s note: This report was last updated at 12:04 a.m. to note the number of outages among Alabama Power and Huntsville Utilities customers.