Mt. Pleasant prepares for possible power outages

Access Energy Cooperative, the electricity provider for rural areas surrounding Mt. Pleasant, is asking for residents to decrease their power usage for the next couple of days. Due to the extreme cold weather and extended cold temperatures across the country, utility companies are under strain for resources.

'The entire electrical grid system is being affected, and every utility company in the Midwest is on alert,” General Manager and CEO Kevin Wheeler said. 'From the Canadian border to the Mexican border, it's affecting the entire country.”

The public should prepare for potential intermittent service disruptions, with increment rolling blackouts lasting 30-40 minutes.

'The next 24 hours are critical, but we could be on alert until Saturday,” Wheeler said. 'It all depends on when the strain of the grid system will be lightened.”

'The increment rolling blackouts might not happen, but if they do, they won't take too long, no more than 30-40 minutes,” he said. 'If your power does go out and stays off for more than 45 minutes at a time, please notify our office.”

In order to conserve power usage in preparation for these potential disruptions, Access Energy Cooperative is asking residents to do what they can to decrease power usage.

'Turn down your thermostat a few degrees, limit use of larger appliances like clothes dryers and dishwashers, use toaster ovens or microwaves instead of ovens, unplug unused electronics, and turn off lights when not in use,” Wheeler said. 'These are all things people can do to help conserve power.”

Access Energy Cooperative isn't the only utility company asking residents to do their part in helping out. MidAmerican Energy also has been affected by the cold conditions. The company recently asked their customers to reduce their natural gas consumption due to frozen gas wells in Texas.

Alliant Energy offered helpful tips for the customers to reduce energy usage on its website, but a spokesman Monday night said its natural gas comes from a different cooperative than the one used by MidAmerican and was not in danger.