A lineman for Salem Electric works to repair power lines damaged by a weekend ice storm on Feb. 15, 2021. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)
It’s always good to be prepared for a power outage, but Salem-area electric utilities said they don’t expect record-breaking heat over the weekend to cause widespread outages or rolling blackouts.
Portland General Electric said crews have deployed extra cooling systems on key equipment.
“It’s going to be hot, but this doesn’t mean that our equipment will fail,” said John Farmer, a PGE spokesman. “It just means our equipment is going to be running a little more.”
He said crews would be deployed over the weekend to quickly respond to any local outages.
Pacific Power said localized outages are possible, but the extra demands on the power grid won’t overtax its supply.
“From a power supply perspective, we do not anticipate heat-related service interruptions during this current heat wave,” the utility said in a news release.
The utilities offered the following tips to minimize power usage and stay safe during the heat wave:
-Set your thermostat at 78 degrees when you’re home. Setting the temperature below that increases power use by as much as 8%, Pacific Power said.
-Leave your air conditioning running at 85 degrees when you go out for the day. It takes less power to cool your home when you return if the air conditioning is running at a higher temperature all day.
-Use heat-producing appliances like ovens, dishwashers and dryers in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are cooler
-Wait to do laundry or run other high-power appliances until evening or night, when power demands on the grid are the lowest
-Close the blinds and lower the shades
-Using ceiling and electric fans to cool the home when possible. They use far less power than air conditioning.
-Rachel Alexander
