Upstate Electric Cooperatives Collaborate to Maintain Grid Reliability During Heatwave

As scorching temperatures persist across the Upstate, five rural electric cooperatives—Blue Ridge, Broad River, Laurens, Little River, and York Electric Cooperatives (the Upstate Five)—are working in close coordination with their power provider, Central Electric Power Cooperative, and wholesale energy partner, Duke Energy, to ensure the stability of the power grid and provide uninterrupted service to their members. This unified effort includes continuous monitoring of energy supply and proactive measures to reduce system strain, such as encouraging members to adopt simple energy-saving habits like adjusting thermostats, delaying the use of major appliances, and turning off non-essential lights between 3 and 8 p.m. These actions not only alleviate pressure on the grid but also help members save on their electricity bills. The Upstate Five remain in constant communication with Central Electric Power Cooperative to manage demand and will continue to update their members, media, and public officials through social media and text alerts. A joint statement from the five CEOs emphasized the critical need to curb nonessential electricity use due to increasingly limited power reserves during the prolonged period of 90-degree-plus weather.