TVA winter prep, saving energy tips

From Local 3 News: With the freezing temperatures ahead to the Tennessee Valley, TVA continues to work to ensure that rolling blackouts are a thing of the past.

$430 million was spent and over 1,000 activities were completed by TVA to ensure that we don't relive Winter Storm Elliot’s aftermath.

Adam May, a TVA spokesperson, breaks down a few of the activities that were done to keep power in your home this winter.

“We put closers and insulation around equipment and instrumentation that is susceptible to freezing in extreme cold. We have instrumentation that tells our plant leaders when some of our equipment may be at risk for freezing. It gives them a temperature of where we are at and they'll know they may need to spend some attention on that particular object,” May said.

May said every single TVA plant is ready to meet the demand of whatever temperatures Mother Nature throws at them.

“We are prepared, and I think we showed that last winter on January 17 of 2024, when we met our all-time peak demand for energy usage from Winter Storm Heather. Also had the highest demand for a week and the highest demand for a weekend morning. We set several records and met that demand with relatively few problems,” May said.

That peak power demand in January of 2024 was 34,500 megawatts.

As for tips for saving energy, May says lowering your thermostat to a temperature that is comfortable for you and getting HVAC maintenance can help save you money.

He shares other ways to help as well.

“Use the sunlight if it’s a sunny day. You can open your curtains if it is a sunny day, and then be sure to close those curtains at night. If you're baking something, and you get done, leave the oven open for a little while and let that heat go throughout your home. Don't use the oven to heat your house; obviously, that is inefficient and unsafe,” May said.
When it comes to properly heating your home, May says be sure that no furniture is covering vents.

“A lot of people think you can cover up your vents or make your other rooms warmer by covering up a vent in another room, but that is a myth. Your HVAC system is built to use a certain amount of heat and it going to do so either way,” May said.