UPDATE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 18, 2021 / 11:30 a.m.) – City of Stillwater has received word that Southwest Power Pool has implemented Alert Level Zero. See announcement below. Thank you, Stillwater residents, for your cooperation and understanding during the past several days. Your efforts made a difference!
From the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA): “GRDA was notified earlier this morning that at 9:30AM the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) would be removing it Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) and downgrading to a conservative operations status. The entire SPP footprint will remain in conservative operations status until 10PM on Saturday, February 20.
Under conservative operations, GRDA will continue to maintain a heightened sense of awareness and ensure its generation resources are fully prepared and committed to operating in the weather conditions that persist throughout the region.
GRDA continues to be in contact with representatives of all our customer utility systems, to provide updates on changing conditions. If you have any questions regarding status of the electric system, please contact your local electric provider and be sure you are following them on social media.”
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City of Stillwater asks customers to continue to conserve energy to help avoid additional planned outages
MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 17, 2021 / 11:40 a.m.) – As temperatures return to normal winter levels, the City of Stillwater believes the end of additional planned power curtailments is near.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Stillwater City Manager Norman McNickle. “More curtailments may be required by our suppliers. That is why it is so important that Stillwater power customers continue to conserve energy and natural gas over the next few days.”
With the increase in temperatures, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which serves a 17-state region that includes Oklahoma, is experiencing a decrease in demand. It is also taking steps to increase its supply. The unprecedented demand the last few days forced the SPP to curtail power to communities across its region. Additional curtailments may be necessary.
“We deeply appreciate your efforts and cooperation these last several days as our city and a huge part of our nation faced historic extreme cold weather” McNickle said. “Your continued efforts for a few more days will help limit the number of additional curtailments of electricity and natural gas.”
McNickle added, “I also want to thank all our City of Stillwater employees who braved the extreme conditions to continue to carry out their duties and serve the people of our community.”
Conservation efforts include:
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Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees;
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Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows;
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Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances;
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Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.)
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Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible;
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Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678.
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For media inquiries, contact the Department of Marketing and Civic Engagement at 405.742.8219 or email news@stillwater.org.
Additional power curtailments expected for City of Stillwater
MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 16, 2021 / 9:40 a.m.) – Due to extended severe cold weather that is affecting most of the country, the City of Stillwater is advising its residents that additional electric service curtailments may occur because of a shortage of power in our region.
Stillwater’s electricity is supplied by the Grand River Dam Authority, which is part of the Southwest Power Pool, the electric balancing market for a 17-state region that stretches from Canada to Texas.
The SPP has been challenged with juggling the supply of power in the face of historic levels of demand for natural gas during unprecedented low temperatures. The duration of the cold weather is causing gas wells to freeze and other issues.
“Because the situation is so fluid, we cannot guarantee the ability to inform the public of upcoming curtailments,” said Stillwater City Manager Norman McNickle. “We have been told by the Grand River Dam Authority to expect additional curtailments. But we have no idea how many more we might see.”
The City is being told each curtailment will last an hour or less and will affect several thousand customers at a time.
For each outage, the City curtails service for a random set of customers sprinkled across the city. The outage affects residences and businesses. Essential infrastructure such as the hospital, nursing homes, police, water plant, etc. will be exempt from curtailment in service.
The next rolling outage for Stillwater will include some of the same customers from Tuesday’s early morning curtailment affecting around 7,500 customers.
“We know the outages are frustrating for our customers. It is extremely frustrating for City employees who pride themselves on providing the highest quality service,” McNickle said. “We wish we could provide more advance notice, but it is beyond our control.
“This is a rare, multi-day blast of extreme weather that is affecting tens of millions of Americans. Customers across the region are losing power for a brief period as the SPP manages the supply of energy. Like countless others, we are doing our part.”
In the event of an outage, Stillwater residents on oxygen and other medical support devices should make sure they have backup supplies and may need to contact their medical equipment provider.
Stillwater residents are encouraged to continue to take conservation efforts during the period of sub-freezing weather. Those steps include:
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Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees;
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Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows;
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Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances;
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Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.)
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Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible;
Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678.
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Power curtailment scheduled for City of Stillwater Tuesday
MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 16, 2021 / 7:20 a.m.) – The City of Stillwater will experience a power curtailment Tuesday that will impact about 7,500 customers. The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has implemented Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 and alerted the City of the curtailment plan.
The curtailment of power began at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and will last for about an hour. The City is scheduled for only one curtailment Tuesday. The weather and demand across SPP’s 17-state region will determine any future curtailments for Stillwater.
This map indicates the area for the curtailment. Essential infrastructure such as the hospital, nursing homes, police, water plant, etc. will be exempt from curtailment in service.
Stillwater’s electricity is supplied by the Grand River Dam Authority, which is part of the Southwest Power Pool, the electric balancing market for a region that stretches from Canada to Texas.
Stillwater residents are encouraged to continue to take conservation efforts during the period of sub-freezing weather. Those steps include:
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Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees;
-
Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows;
-
Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances;
-
Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.)
-
Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible;
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Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678.
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Due to extreme weather, power curtailment still possible for City of Stillwater
MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 15, 2021 / 5:25 p.m.) – As of Monday afternoon, the City Stillwater had not suffered any power curtailments as the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) addresses energy demand in response to extreme cold weather across its 17-state service area.
SPP has returned to Energy Emergency Alert Level 2, which calls for consumers to take steps to conserve energy. However, because several communities in Oklahoma and other states have experienced power curtailments on short notice, the City of Stillwater advises residents that a power curtailment could occur without any advance notification.
“We have not been informed of a power curtailment for a section of our service area, but it could happen,” said Stillwater City Manager Norman McNickle. “We would like to have time to notify affected areas, but that might not be possible."
Any outages would likely affect several thousand customers and last for less than an hour.
“With historic levels of extreme cold weather, SPP’s power supply is under tremendous strain. We hope to avoid any outages for Stillwater customers, but we can’t make any guarantees. We ask that residents continue to take conservation efforts.” McNickle said.
Steps residents can take to conserve their use include:
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Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees;
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Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows;
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Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances;
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Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.)
-
Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible;
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Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
Stillwater’s electricity is supplied by the Grand River Dam Authority, which is part of the Southwest Power Pool. Oklahoma State University’s power is supplied by OG&E, which is also a member of the SPP.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678
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City of Stillwater power curtailment update
POWER UPDATE (1:30 p.m.) -- NO DISRUPTION OF SERVICE AT THIS TIME. At the last minute, the Southwest Power Pool issued a restore order that brought back on the first group of communities that were scheduled for a power curtailment. THERE WILL BE NO CURTAILMENT OF POWER IN STILLWATER AT THIS TIME. Please continue to conserve energy where you can; it helps. The City will provide updates as appropriate.
City of Stillwater announces first power curtailment beginning Monday afternoon
MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 15, 2021) — The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which provides power to 17 states, has implemented Level 3 of its energy emergency plan, requiring the City of Stillwater, and communities across its region, to curtail power service for pockets of customers.
Stillwater will begin curtailing power at 1:20 p.m. Monday for approximately 4,300 customers. The power outages are expected to last 30-45 minutes. The City is uncertain if additional curtailments will be necessary. It will provide updates as soon as possible.
This map indicates the area for the first curtailment. The yellow dots indicate the meters that will be affected. Essential infrastructure such as the hospital, nursing homes, police, water plant, etc. will be exempt from curtailment in service.
“SPP has worked hard to meet demand during this historic period of extreme cold weather,” Stillwater City Manager Norman McNickle said. “We are doing our part to meet this shortage. We apologize to the customers who experience an outage and appreciate their understanding. All customers can help us by continuing to conserve energy in whatever ways they can.”
Stillwater’s electricity is supplied by the Grand River Dam Authority, which is part of the Southwest Power Pool. Oklahoma State University’s power is supplied by OG&E, which is also a member of the SPP.
Steps residents can take to conserve their use include:
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Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees;
-
Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows;
-
Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances;
-
Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.)
-
Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible;
Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
The City will provide updates as they are available.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678
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For media inquiries, contact the Department of Marketing and Civic Engagement at 405.742.8219 or email news@stillwater.org.
Stillwater continues appeal for residents to conserve energy this week
MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 15, 2021) — Following the latest directions from the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the City of Stillwater is appealing to customers to take steps to conserve energy during the current extreme cold weather conditions.
“As part of its emergency alert protocol, SPP has directed its member providers to issue public conservation appeals,” said Norman McNickle, Stillwater City Manager. “The conservation steps are necessary to mitigate the risk of widespread and longer-lasting outages. It is critical that Stillwater residents and businesses conserve energy over the next several days.”
McNickle said operating conditions may continue to tighten over the next several days because of widespread and extreme cold. It is hoped that conservation efforts will prevent the need for planned curtailments of power within the SPP region.
Stillwater’s electricity is supplied by the Grand River Dam Authority, which is part of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the electric balancing market for a 17-state region that stretches from Canada to Texas.
Steps residents can take to conserve their use include:
-
Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees;
-
Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows;
-
Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances;
-
Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.)
-
Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible;
-
Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
“Stillwater residents and energy users play a key role in helping us avoid any curtailment of service,” said Norman McNickle, Stillwater City Manager. “If we reduce usage through conservation efforts over the next several days, we can dramatically reduce the City’s demand. We urge every Stillwater resident and business to take whatever steps you can to help us through this situation.”
It is expected that any curtailment in electricity would impact a small segment of customers and would last an hour or less. Essential infrastructure such as the hospital, nursing homes, police, water plant, etc. would be exempt from any planned curtailment. The City will provide updates as soon as possible.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678
View the Southwest Power Pool Service Map.
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For media inquiries, contact the Department of Marketing and Civic Engagement at 405.742.8219 or email news@stillwater.org.
Stillwater residents asked to help conserve energy during extreme cold weather
MEDIA RELEASE
(STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA / Feb. 14, 2021) — The extreme cold weather hitting a large part of the country is causing a strain on the natural gas supply that generates electricity for cities across America, including Stillwater.
Stillwater’s electricity is supplied by the Grand River Dam Authority, which is part of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the electric balancing market for a 17-state region that stretches from Canada to Texas. The SPP is asking its member utilities, including the Grand River Dam Authority, to begin conservation efforts.
It is hoped that conservation efforts will prevent the need for planned curtailments of power within the SPP region.
“Stillwater residents and energy users play a key role in helping us avoid any curtailment of service,” said Norman McNickle, Stillwater City Manager. “If we reduce usage through conservation efforts over the next several days, we can dramatically reduce the City’s demand. We urge every Stillwater resident and business to take whatever steps you can to help us through this situation.”
Steps residents can take to conserve their use include:
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Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees;
-
Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows;
-
Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances;
-
Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.)
-
Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible;
-
Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
“We don’t know if or when we might have any curtailments in service,” McNickle said. “We appreciate everyone’s understanding and support during this extreme weather event. We encourage all Stillwater residents to stay safe and stay warm.”
It is expected that any curtailment in electricity would impact a small segment of customers and would last an hour or less. Essential infrastructure such as the hospital, nursing homes, police, water plant, etc. would be exempt from any planned curtailment. The City will provide updates as soon as possible.
For more information regarding the City’s winter weather plans, go to http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/678
View the Southwest Power Pool Service Map.
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For media inquiries, contact the Department of Marketing and Civic Engagement at 405.742.8219 or email news@stillwater.org.
