EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
In this heat, air conditioners are running longer and using more power. Energy companies are closely watching the power.
It's no secret at this point, just how hot it has been and how hot it will remain in the coming days.
Vectren's Operations Center is where Vectren monitors power usage throughout the Tri-State to make sure we don't overuse and ultimately have bigger problems than this heat wave.
Temps are up and the AC is humming, but many Tri-Staters may be taking for granted the role local energy companies play in making 'a cool summer day' possible.
A Vectren 'control room' displays numbers and graphs, illustrating just how many megawatts of power customers use on a blistering hot day like Thursday, and how many the company's power stations are producing.
"Our customers are using about 1,150 megawatts of power. We are only able to generate about 900 megawatts. So we are importing that to make up the difference right now."
Vectren Spokesperson Chase Kelley says they monitor this 'give and take' to prevent an imbalance.
"If we start using more power than the stations can handle, we could all be facing a blackout." Kelley said. "We have projected that our peak load this summer will likely only be 1,200 megawatts. You can see here today, we're at 1,150. The good news is we have the ability to import power and generate as much as 1,500 megawatts. So you can see, there's a pretty big cushion there, to make sure we can meet our customer's demand throughout the summer."
Kelley also says they have an additional fail safe in which power can be denied to some customers throughout the day. It's called 'Summer Cycler'.
"Summer Cycler gives customers a bill credit for allowing us to shut off, or cycle off, their AC and or electric water heater for short periods of time throughout the day."
All-in-all, Kelley says they have a firm grasp of power consumption and generation in the Tri-State, and that they will be on their guard during this heat wave.
It's also important to note that the 'Summer Cycler' program is something customers have to proactively sign up for. Vectren cannot simply shut off your power without your permission.
They also say they may be looking to temporarily shut down certain production lines at large factories, like Alcoa and Toyota, two of their biggest clients, to save energy.
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It's no secret at this point, just how hot it has been and how hot it will remain in the coming days.
