Chelan PUD Expecting Record Breaking Energy Demand with Frigid Cold This Week

Chelan PUD is expecting peak energy demand in the county to set a new record this week.

The current record of 491 megawatts was set on the morning of January 5th in 2017, when the temperature dipped to -1 Fahrenheit.

PUD spokesperson Rachel Hansen says the utility is prepared to deal with this week's frigid cold weather. "Our distribution system, it's designed to handle zero degree temperatures, plus some reserve capacity," said Hansen. "So we expect to come close this week without having to dip into reserves."

Chelan PUD has suspended non-critical maintenance projects this week to ensure that crews are available to restore power as quickly as possible if the lights go out anywhere in the county.

Chelan County is described as a "winter peaking" area, which means customers use the most energy when the weather is cold.

The utility has dealt with far colder weather than what is predicted for this week.  Wenatchee set a record low temperature of -21 in 1968.  The record cold high temperatures for the city is -7, also recorded in 1968

Chelan PUD has these five tips for reducing stress on the delivery of electricity during excessive cold weather, and for cutting costs on utility bills:

1. Turn your heat down 1-2 degrees, or the lowest temperature you are comfortable with, and put a sweater and/or blankets on yourself.
2. Let the sun in during the day but close your drapes at night. Take advantage of that solar heat gain but eliminate the heat loss after the sun goes down.
3. Heat where you are. If using baseboards or zonal heating, only heat parts of the home that you will be using.
4. Check your water heating settings. Do not have the thermostat set above 125 degrees.
5. Eliminate drafts from doors. Use a door draft stopper/guard or just a blanket to prevent unwanted heat loss. Minimize how often you are going in/out of your home.

If you are concerned about water pipes freezing:

• Consider letting a cold-water faucet drip continuously when the weather is at its coldest.
• Know the location of the water shut-off valve in your home. Check to make sure it works.
•    Open cupboard doors under sinks, especially where plumbing is in outside walls, to let interior heat warm the pipes.