By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Extreme heat warnings are set to take effect Thursday across southern Arizona, with temperatures expected to reach 110 degrees by the weekend.
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The 13 News weather team has called First Alert Weather Days for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday due to the potentially deadly heat.
The U.S. Department of Energy has issued an emergency order to 17 states, including Arizona, directing backup generators for at-risk areas.
DOE order does not apply to TEP
TEP said it is not subject to the federal emergency order and has been able to manage its power grid even on the hottest days.
TEP spokesperson J.D. Wallace said the utility set a peak demand record of 2,500 megawatts on Aug. 6 of last year, when temperatures reached 111 degrees. Usage this year has reached 2,400 megawatts.
“We have yet to hit that again, and we’ve extended our battery storage since then,” Wallace said. “We have ten times the amount of battery storage we had last summer, so we know that we can meet this demand once again.”
Battery storage and backup generators on standby
Wallace said additional battery storage units and generators serve as backup when energy demand peaks during the hottest parts of the day.
“We have generators that can start in a matter of seconds to help us answer peak demand, whether that be extra demand during high temperatures or even in a situation where our solar resources aren’t available because of clouds or situations like that,” Wallace said.
Wallace said customers should not be concerned about losing air conditioning during extreme temperatures, but he recommended they remain mindful of their usage.
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“There is a point during these high temperatures…your air conditioning can really only cool your home so much,” Wallace said. “So that’s also something to consider as far as saving some energy and saving some demand on the grid.”
Heat stretching across multiple states
13 News Chief Meteorologist Erin Christiansen said this week is expected to be extremely hot.
“This is going to be the hottest stretch that we will have felt so far this year across southern Arizona,” Christiansen said.
Christiansen said the extreme heat extends well beyond the region.
“So when you take a look at the country, a good majority of Arizona is under that extreme warning here, but so is southern California, Nevada, even stretching into Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas,” Christiansen said.
TEP said energy prices rise as demand increases and encouraged customers to reduce usage. Tips for lowering energy consumption and your bill can be found on their website.
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