On September 18, Duke Energy responded to a looming power shortage in North and South Carolina. Consumption surged due to extreme heat, with the utility anticipating a peak load of approximately 20,102 megawatts for the afternoon. Consequently, millions of customers were asked to reduce their electricity usage between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. At the same time, Duke Energy secured additional generating capacity and requested emergency authorization from the U.S. government, warning that load shedding might otherwise become necessary.
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Power Shortage Forces Duke Energy to Secure Additional Emergency Reserves
Air conditioning, in particular, drove up consumption. In Charlotte, temperatures reached 96 degrees Fahrenheit (just under 36 degrees Celsius) on Friday—a peak roughly 14 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average for that day.
Duke Energy had already secured an additional 2,089 megawatts of capacity. Furthermore, load management measures and voluntary reductions in consumption were expected to save more than 500 megawatts. Nevertheless, the company deemed additional reserves necessary.
US Government Authorizes Increased Power Plant Usage
The US Department of Energy responded to the request that same day. The agency authorized Duke Energy to ramp up the use of certain power plants when necessary. Additionally, the utility is permitted to activate large, customer-owned backup power systems if other measures prove insufficient.
The power supply crunch thus went well beyond a standard call for energy conservation. Duke Energy explicitly informed Washington that available generation capacity might not suffice; without additional measures, individual consumers could therefore face temporary disconnection from the grid.
Environmental Regulations May Be Temporarily Waived
Under certain conditions, the emergency authorization also permits power plant operations that exceed standard environmental limits. This may affect regulations concerning nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds, among others. However, Duke Energy must first exhaust all other available options for stabilizing the grid.
It is also noteworthy that Duke Energy had received a similar emergency authorization as recently as early September. This latest power supply shortage follows just weeks later. Duke Energy serves approximately 3.9 million customers in North Carolina and more than 870,000 in South Carolina.
Author: Blackout News
Sources: Duke Energy (18.09.26) – US Department of Energy (18.09.26)