Extremely low winter temperatures are hitting the Northland, and Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative is providing its member-customers with an update on the impact of the weather to electric service.

*PCEC is taking an “all hands on deck” approach to getting these issues resolved as they occur*

PCEC is currently experiencing intermittent issues with service disruptions caused by portions of the power grid being overloaded at the substation level of their transmission partner. They are taking an “all hands on deck” approach to getting these issues resolved as they occur and are working with their cooperative partners to ensure outages are restored as quickly as possible.

There are a number of steps PCEC members can take immediately in order to reduce their household’s demand on the grid.

*Limit the use of other appliances such as laundry or running a dishwasher.

*Use smaller kitchen appliances like toaster ovens, microwaves, slow-cookers, etc. to make meals rather than relying on your range or oven.

*Turn down your thermostat a few degrees and use a blanket or warm clothing to help conserve and stay warm.

*Be sure to turn off and unplug space heaters that you don’t need to use. Be mindful of the amount of time you utilize a space heater and reduce it, if possible.

*Keep fireplace dampers closed when not in use.

*Unplug/turn off unused electronics, chargers, and lights.

Taking these steps can help reduce the overall costs to the cooperative and prevent outages from reoccurring while PCEC navigates this unique weather event. By working together, member-customers can reduce the impact of this extreme weather event on the co-op community.

More information can be found on Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative’s outage dashboard page.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts Contributed to this Story