(Undated) -- Some Iowa electric cooperative customers are dealing with rotating outages, due to the extreme cold and record energy demand. The cutbacks last between 45-and-60 minutes and are designed to ease the energy load, and prevent a system-wide black-out. Customers are also being asked to lower their energy use if possible.
Utilities suggest setting your home's thermostat to 65-degrees or lower. Other tips include staggering your appliance use, avoiding or limiting hot water use, and using smaller appliances to cook.
For the cooperatives in Iowa, the rotating outages may occur with very little warning. The Association says that's because local cooperatives are being asked to shed electric load levels quickly, to comply with the emergency orders from the Regional Transmission organization, or power pool. These R-T-O's coordinate energy use throughout the nations electric grid system.
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