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Lowering Air Conditioning Bills
Davis, Weber Water Restrictions
August 1, 2000-- Hundred degree plus temperatures are playing havoc with Utah Power equipment.
Numerous power bumps and outages occurred yesterday and tonight in Idaho and Utah.
Science Specialist Ed Yeates reports unless we get substantial relief in the weather, we can expect more problems.
Generators across Utah Power's grid are pumping out high loads of electricity to keep the air inside homes and businesses cool.
DAVID ESKELSEN, UTAH POWER: "MANY AREAS OF OUR SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE WASATCH FRONT ARE AT OR ABOVE THEIR MAXIMUM DELIVERY CAPACITY."
Once it was just swamp coolers on rooftops. But central air has taken over as the preferred system in most buildings.
Central air demands more energy, and that's pushing Utah Power to its limit and beyond - especially in the south and west part of the Salt Lake valley and in parts of Davis and Weber Counties.
Hotter temperatures are also adding insult to injury, by heating even more the equipment that's already running at full capacity!
ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "UTAH POWER HAS 600 TO 700 SUBSTATIONS IN THEIR SYSTEM AND IT'S HERE THE HOT, HOT TEMPERATURES ARE TAKING A TOLL."
Transformers run $500,000 to $1-million.
Flashing amber and red lights may signal an overheating problem. If so, Utah Power has no choice but to take the transformer off line.
DAVID ESKELSEN: "SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO CUT POWER TO AN AREA OR ALLOW A CIRCUIT BREAKER TO TRIP A TRANSFORMER OFF LINE TO PROTECT THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. AND WE REALLY CAN'T TURN THE POWER BACK ON UNTIL THE EQUIPMENT COOLS DOWN."
Utah Power officials say they will not drop voltage - sometimes called a brownout - since that can damage refrigerator and air conditioning compressors and sensitive electronic equipment.
DAVID ESKELSEN: "SO RATHER THAN ENDURE A PROLONGED LOW VOLTAGE CONDITION, WE WOULD PREFER TO TAKE AN OUTAGE."
Utah Power is asking consumers to help by turning thermostats higher so central air conditioners work less.
For more energy-conserving tips, click here.
