ARKANSAS — Entergy Arkansas warned the power grid may fail if steps are not taken to conserve electricity.
Like most of the Mid-South, the state of Arkansas is dealing with dangerously low temperatures, forcing many to crank up the heat. But Entergy Arkansas is saying do not do that. On Monday, they warned customers that they need to conserve the power right now because if not they could see rolling blackout.
With the temperatures so low, Entergy expects use to hit an all-time record high. If the demand for electricity increases much more it will not be able to meet those demands. In that case it would have to initiate rolling blackouts to prevent a much bigger power failure.
The utility company asked customers to lower their thermostat to 68 degrees, avoid using the clothes dryer and other high consumption appliances, and cook food on a lower temperature. Also avoid opening the over door when baking.
This request does not apply to the elderly and those with special health concerns.
Entergy is working to respond and bring the electric system back to normal as soon as possible. As of 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, 7,294 customers in Arkansas were in the dark.
For the latest outage information, click here. To report an emergency or an outage, call 1-800-968-8243.