The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is thanking its customers for conserving energy during the extreme winter weather and cold system that swept through Tennessee and surrounding states last week.
“Thanks to all who played a part in conserving energy during last week’s extremely cold temperatures,” TVA wrote in an X post on Monday. “Efforts made by many benefited our communities. By working together we kept homes warm, lights on and we showed that true power comes from teamwork.”
A winter weather system consisting of dangerously cold temperatures and snow began traveling through the Volunteer State on Sunday, January 14, increased the demand for power across the state.
TVA’s peak power demand on Wednesday, January 17 of 34,526 megawatts at a system average temperature of 4 degrees set an all-time company record. The power company’s previous record was 33,482 megawatts in August 2007.
In addition, on Sunday, January 21, TVA’s peak power demand of 34,284 megawatts at a system average temperature of 12 degrees set the second highest all-time peak in the company’s history.
Despite the record-high power demands, TVA reported its electric grid as “stable” and said its generating facilities were “performing well.”
Beginning this week, Temperatures are expected to stay above freezing into the first week of February, marking an end to the winter weather system that has claimed the lives of 27 Tennesseans, according to the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH).
“The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed 27 weather-related fatalities. Eight in Shelby County, one in Hickman County, one in Madison County, two in Washington County, one in Carroll County, four in Knox County, one in Van Buren County, one in Lauderdale County, one in Henry County, two in Marshall County, one in Coffee County, one in Marion County, two in Roane County, and one in Anderson County,” the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) reported in its Flash Report.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Making Power” by Tennessee Valley Authority.
