More than 189,000 homes and businesses across the central and southern United States were without power late Monday, according to PowerOutage.us, as a winter storm brought snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Blizzard conditions persist in several states, causing widespread disruptions.
The National Weather Service forecasted the storm to move offshore by late Monday, ushering in Arctic air that will significantly lower daytime temperatures. Governors in Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Virginia have declared states of emergency in response to the severe weather.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issued a weather watch for Jan. 6-10, warning of increased electricity demand and reduced reserves due to the cold snap. However, ERCOT assured that grid operations are expected to remain normal. PJM Interconnection, covering parts of Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, issued a cold weather advisory for Jan. 8-10 to ensure reliable electricity supply.
The Appalachian Power Company reported the highest outages, with 43,850 customers affected in Virginia and 28,525 in West Virginia. CenterPoint Energy Indiana reported 33,364 outages. Power providers are working to restore services as quickly as possible amid ongoing extreme weather.
Also read: Winter Storm Blankets U.S. in Snow, Ice, and Arctic Chill
