An extended cold snap in Eugene is putting extra strain on the power supply.
Eugene Water & Electric Board said electricity demand hit 453 megawatts, the highest level so far this winter, on Thursday morning when temperatures were around 20 degrees.
EWEB spokesperson Aaron Orlowski said, thanks to a wet and rainy early winter, the reservoirs filled up and hydropower has been abundant. But that could change.
“That precipitation that fell earlier in the winter fell as rain,” he said. “So, snowpack has not been building up at the same rate as some previous years. So, depending on how the rest of the winter unfolds, we could see some more constrained supplies of energy.”
Orlowski said for customers concerned about their power bill ballooning after this cold snap, there are ways to conserve– including lowering your thermostat by a couple degrees.
“Even if you leave your thermostat at say, 68 degrees, as the temperature outside falls, your heating system is working harder,” he said.
And, covering places where cold air comes in, like under a door, can make a difference.
EWEB offers programs to help better insulate your home and rebates on more efficient heating systems. And EWEB has assistance programs for income qualified customers.
Orlowski said last year, electricity demand topped out at 493 megawatts on February 12. The highest demand in EWEB’s history was on Dec. 9, 2013, when lows reached -10 degrees and demand hit 557 megawatts.
High energy demand usually corresponds to high prices on the wholesale market, he said. But so far, they’ve remained low.
