CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Power companies are facing an increasing demand for power as much of the country faces dangerous, record-breaking cold. Some companies have implemented rolling power outages in several states, and that could affect Iowans.
Our coverage partner at KCCI-TV reports that companies calling for disruption rollouts are part of what’s called the “Southwest Power Pool,” which is made up of a group of utilities in 14 states, including Iowa. Much of Western Iowa is served by the Southwest Power Pool.
The Humboldt-based Corn Belt Power Cooperative tells customers that there may be intermittent power cuts lasting 45 minutes.
MidAmerican Energy asks its customers to maintain their natural gas consumption during the extreme cold. The company said its systems are working as expected, but natural gas flow to Iowa has been affected by frozen wells in the southern U.S. The power company said it is working with its largest customers to ensure uninterrupted gas service for residential customers.
Alliant Energy said it projects it will have enough supplies to provide natural gas and electricity to its customers.
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