Key Metrics
5.23
Heat Index-
Impact LevelLow
-
Scope LevelLocal
-
Last Update2025-08-02
Key Impacts
Positive Impacts (3)
Negative Impacts (2)
Event Overview
The event highlights utility companies' proactive grid management during extreme weather conditions, where increased energy demand triggers controlled outages to prevent systemic failures. It underscores the intersection of climate stressors, infrastructure resilience, and regional energy policy challenges in maintaining stable power distribution during emergencies.
Collect Records
Duke Energy Plans Power Outage in Western North Carolina Town
Duke Energy has announced a planned power outage in a town in western North Carolina due to the ongoing extreme heat affecting the state. The announcement was reported by WBTV News 3 on Saturday at 5:00 AM, with additional references in subsequent news summaries and updates. The specific town affected and the precise timing or duration of the outage is not detailed within the content provided, but the outage is noted as a preemptive measure in response to increased demand on the electrical grid caused by a heat wave.
Duke Energy has reported that, despite the extreme heat, the overall electric grid is performing well and has not been close to maxing out its available energy this summer. Since June 1, the company's 560-megawatt Asheville plant has operated daily, producing more than 544,000 megawatt-hours to serve customers in the Carolinas. The plants and infrastructure improvements, including the use of self-healing grid technology, have helped reduce widespread outages during periods of heavy demand.
Duke Energy representatives, including spokesperson Jeff Brooks, indicated that the weather has not caused widespread outages, though there have been sporadic losses of electricity in some neighborhoods. Brooks emphasized the importance of customer efforts to conserve energy, such as raising thermostats, keeping blinds closed on sunny sides of homes, and using ceiling fans to reduce reliance on air conditioning. He noted, "This is the week to make a difference on your bill. If you're going to do any savings, this is the time to do it because your air conditioner uses about 50 or more of your electric use every month this time of year."
The company is monitoring the situation closely and has crews on alert to respond to any issues, as well as staff working around the clock to maintain system reliability. There were no reports of equipment failures leading to large-scale outages as of the latest updates.