BOONE COUNTY — Boone Power posted on social media Friday, asking customers to reduce electricity use as a precautionary measure, saying the request came from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, rather than any local issue.
The post prompted residents to ask questions about why the request was issued. Boone Power said the advisory was not tied to local growth or problems, but to a broader regional grid situation managed by MISO.
"It has nothing to do with growth here locally or anything like that. MISO is managing from Manitoba to Mississippi,” Mandy Saucerman, the Director of Communications for Boone Power, said. “So, in watching the weather, a huge portion of the country is being affected. ”
Because there is a large swath of the country being impacted by this snowstorm, the electric grid is under stress, which is why they asked local co-op power companies to put the request out to users.
"We've been very thankful that we've been able to conserve and balance and trade power around, so we are very thankful for that,” Saucerman said.
AES has made a similar request and has tips on how to make the most of the heat in your home.
"Turn your fans to clockwise so that they are pushing that warm air down. Maybe go out and get some weather stripping for your windows and your doors,” Mallory Swank, the Communications Director for AES Indiana, said.
While the snowstorm has come and gone, the cold is going to be around for a while, which is why Boone Power is hoping that people can conserve to think of their neighbors.
"It doesn't hurt anything, you know, for everybody to try to conserve and save,” Saucerman said. “You know, just generally speaking. We don't want anyone to lose power in these cold temperatures. "
AES Indiana also asks that if you do have an outage, report it online so they can keep the phone lines open.
