Achi news desk-
The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) announced another grid warning on Friday, the second in the past two days, and ENMAX says it led them to shut down power to several Calgary communities.
As of 6:49 am, AESO declared the warning “due to tight supply.”
“Generation is slowly coming online, and we expect conditions to return to normal by 10 am,” AESO said.
During a grid alert, Albertans are asked to take energy saving measures such as turning off unnecessary lights and appliances, reducing the use of air conditioners and space heaters and using cold water to wash clothes as much of the energy used in washing machines goes to heat water. .
ENMAX reported Friday morning that it has been instructed to implement ‘rolling blackouts’ in several communities in Calgary to help control energy consumption.
As of 10 a.m., calls to the ENMAX information number have a recorded message saying the service is experiencing “higher than normal call volume” due to the number of communities experiencing power outages.
“ENMAX crews are currently investigating to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” the message said.
At 8:12pm on Wednesday, the agency said an “unexpected generation loss” had led to a grid warning.
AESO said a number of factors had caused the disruption, but that “an unexpected loss of thermal generation has led to tight conditions.”
A full list of conservation tips is available on the AESO website.
