Before rolling blackouts across the Carolinas on Christmas Eve, some equipment that Duke Energy relies on to generate power for millions either stopped producing energy or produced less than expected, officials have confirmed.
In messages to customers and the public over the last week, Duke Energy officials have pointed to high electricity demand that placed “unusual strain on the energy grid” amid freezing temperatures.
But the utility now says that unresponsive generating units played a role in the power shortage that led the company to begin rolling outages on Dec. 24 with little notice to residents.
WRAL, in Raleigh, first reported the generator problems on Wednesday. Previously, as The Charlotte Observer reported Sunday, officials indicated equipment issues may have contributed to problems of supply and demand, while noting the need for rolling blackouts in the region were rare.
“The majority of our generating units performed as expected. But some units did not generate power or operated at reduced capacity in the pre-dawn hours on Christmas Eve,” spokesman Bill Norton told the Observer on Thursday.
“The power output was lower than we expected — we’re still evaluating why.”
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Published on 1/11/2023 (70 days ago) Energy Crisis