Consolidated Edison says over the weekend, New Yorkers used about 400,000 megawatts of power, making it one of the top usage periods of all time.
With Tuesday expected to also reach into the 90s, the utility is encouraging residents to conserve.
Con Ed suggests turning off appliances when they’re not being used, setting air conditioners no lower than 78 degrees, and closing blinds to keep sun out during the day.
The six-day heat wave has everyone sweating it out. The homeless are particularly vulnerable, so the Center for Urban Community Services is giving out water and sunscreen and offering shelter at their housing placement center in Harlem.
Cooling centers are still open around the city for seniors and those without air conditioning. For a list of locations, New Yorkers can call 311 or go to the office of emergency management’s website, at www.nyc.gov/oem.
(Source: NY1)
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2 Responses
Will they build anymore electrical generators or nuclear plants to produce more electricity for us?
Flatbush Bubby,
No new nuclear plants have been commissioned since the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. Although there is talk about building new ones, only some permitting/ first-stage applications have been completed. It is unlikely that any new plants will be built until we figure out what to do with the nuclear waste; even then, it will take at least a decade or so start to finish.
In any case nuclear plants (and coal plants) are designed to run all the time (except during refueling), so they are not intended to handle the “peak loads” that occur during high demand times such as afternoons during heat waves.
The extra power demanded during times like these is usually provided by “peaker plants”, electric generators that are designed to turn on and off as needed. These usually use natural gas or oil as fuel. These plants can be brought “online”–that is, start providing power–within a few months.