ARKANSAS, USA — It has been hot and humid across Arkansas. With heat indexes reaching over 100 degrees in some areas. Most people are turning up their AC.
It has some asking, will we see anything as we did in the colder months when some residents were asked to conserve power? That’s what is happening right now in Texas.
As of now, this is nothing Arkansans need to worry about.
“There’s nothing out of the ordinary this year. There’s different from any other summer,” Jesse Pettry, CEO of Pettry Plumbing Heating and Air.
He’s responded to hundreds of calls, which is normal for this time of year. “Most of the time is just not sufficient cold air or no cold air at all,” Pettry.
Meanwhile, to the south of us. A heatwave is straining Texas' energy resources, creating a second potential power crisis only four months after the last one.
Millions of customers lost power during a winter cold snap, leading to water pipes burst and severe damage.
Now, the grid's manager wants Texans to limit power use until Friday to avoid an emergency. At the same time as temperatures reach triple digits in some areas
"Obviously I don't think our state government has done a very good job managing that situation and they don't really care," said Houston, TX resident Craig Schofer.
Their warning came because several power plants in Texas are unexpectedly offline. That caused the energy supply to dip. At a time when the heatwave was increasing demand.
"I don't have any potential reasons that I can share at this time,” said Warren Lasher, Senior Director Systems Planning.
Energy officials say every degree of cooling in your home increases your energy use by six to eight %.
To help keep your home cooler. There are a few tips like keeping your blinds closed during the day. Plant shade trees around your home and change you’re AC filters regularly.