As Golden Triangle residents brace for another round of freezing temperatures, at least two organizations are making adjustments in anticipation of problems associated with cold weather.
The polar jet stream is expected to continue encroaching into the South this weekend, bringing with it below-average temperatures across a large portion of the United States.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued both hard freeze and wind chill advisories Thursday. As of 7 p.m. Thursday, the hard freeze warning is set to expire 10 a.m. Saturday. Nightly temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s through Saturday, warm up to the freezing mark Sunday and drop back to the high teens Monday and Tuesday.
Residents are advised to bring pets indoors during the cold snap and to only use approved house-heating elements to warm their homes.
TVA expecting significant power demands
Tennessee Valley Authority officials asked customers and affiliates, including Starkville Electric Department, Columbus Light & Water and 4County Electric Power Association to voluntarily reduce power consumption Thursday in anticipation of plunging temperatures.
TVA’s bulk electrical system remains stable and secure, the company reported yesterday in a release, but peak power demand is expected to occur when regional temperatures drop into the single digits.
“When it’s below 20 degrees, each time the temperature drops 1 degree, another 400 megawatts of electricity is needed. That’s almost as much as one of our larger hydroelectric dams,” said Tim Ponseti, vice president of TVA transmission operations and power supply. “Setting your thermostat 2 to 3 degrees below normal (during the call for voluntary power reduction) can really help TVA manage the high power demand during this challenging time.”
How the polar vortex impacts other power providers across the U.S. will compound the problem. Starkville Electric Department General Manager Terry Kemp said the severe cold snap will push many providers to near-capacity levels, thereby preventing them from selling excess electricity to other companies. SED receives its power from TVA.
TVA projected power demands to peak near 33,000 megawatts this morning. In comparison, the demand was just below 32,500 megawatts on Jan. 7, the height of this month’s first outbreak of cold weather.
Like air condition units in the summer, electric heating systems are expected to push power demands to the limit.
“Starkville is one local power affiliate of about 155 (TVA receivers) that is going through an emergency load curtailment plan — a process over the years to ensure we can respond to situations, like significant load loss from storms or other weather situations, with internal controls to maintain the integrity of the power grid. We’ve already implemented some preliminary controls internally — power reductions, specifically,” Kemp said. “Peak usage typically comes in the afternoon and first thing in the morning. When people get up and start turning on everything, that pushes demand up. We want to thank everyone participating with TVA’s request and their effort within this partnership. From TVA to SED and the customer, we’re all doing our part to ensure our system’s integrity.”
TVA provides electricity to about 9 million people in parts of seven states.
MSU on high alert for pipe failures
Mississippi State University workers began draining portions of seven residence hall’s fire suppression water systems Thursday in anticipation of the upcoming hard freeze, the university reported.
Three dorms received varying levels of water damage earlier this month when water pipes burst due to freezing temperatures. Out of that damage, Ruby Hall, a residence hall in Zacharias Village, received the most significant damage. A pipe in the “B” wing of the structure’s top floor ruptured. About 120 students were impacted, and the university began assisting them with alternative housing options shortly after.
Water was drained from the dorms’ top-floor piping, a university release said, while lower floors will maintain water in the fire suppression system’s pipes. University officials consulted with Starkville Fire Department before implementing action.
Fire alarm and heat-detecting systems remain in place, and the university launched 24-hour fire-watch procedures that will last during the cold snap.
“All safety measures to protect the university’s students remain in place,” Bill Kibler, MSU vice president for student affairs, said in a release. “We have staff working around the clock to personally monitor these facilities, and that will continue until the fire suppression system is re-engaged.”
MSU has since repaired the previously damaged fire suppression systems.
“These state-of-the-art fire suppression systems have never been subjected to temperatures this low in the life of these newer residence halls,” said MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter in a release. “In conjunction with our architects, engineers and other stakeholders, the university is continuing to evaluate the possible causes of the damage to our residence halls earlier this month. That process will be thorough and exhaustive. But the plan adopted today by the Crisis Action Team strikes the appropriate short-term balance between our dual responsibilities to protect both our students and protect the taxpayers’ property.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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