How are electrical systems affected by heat waves and high temperatures?
Hot weather, in and of itself, has few effects on electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems. However, when rising summer temperatures and increased demand for air conditioning combine with everyday, normal business use of electricity, the overall demand for power can surge and overload equipment, causing it to overheat and trigger equipment failure and power outages. It is the overload or excessive electrical demand that causes outages.
What causes momentary interruptions?
Momentary interruptions, while annoying, are unavoidable. When a tree limb falls on a wire, sensing equipment will break the circuit for a split second. This break prevents the system from major damage and actually helps prevent outages.
What causes rolling blackouts?
On occasion, demand exceeds the amount of electricity that can be produced or delivered. To prevent the whole system from being damaged, electric companies will shut down one substation at a time, usually for a short duration, until demand subsides.
How are electric companies working to improve storm restoration performance?
Most power outages result from weather-related incidents such as storms. Lightning strikes, high winds, and ice, can knock down power lines causing outages. When this happens, electric companies take specific steps to restore service as soon as possible.