If our region experiences an energy shortfall that is severe enough to create rolling blackouts, how does Clark County REMC determine which homes to disconnect?
First of all, our power supplier will inform us that we need to reduce power consumption by a certain amount, which we are mandated to do as quickly as possible. In this example, let's say we are told to reduce consumption by 3 megawatts:
- Whenever possible, we will avoid cutting power to community and emergency services like medical facilities, police and fire, and schools.
- Using real-time data, we will target the fewest number of homes and businesses to achieve the required reduction. If, for example, there are two areas where approximately 3 megawatts of power are being consumed, and one area has 500 homes and the other has 800 homes, we will start with the 500 home section.
- After a short time, usually less than one hour, we will restore power to those first 500 homes, and move on to the next section that achieves our requirement to reduce consumption by 3 megawatts.
- This process is repeated until the emergency is over.
These emergencies can escalate quickly, but we will do all we can to give you advance notice and keep you informed. To make sure you get our alerts, call our office and update your phone number and email address.