EWEB prepares for ice as energy demand reaches highest level since 2017

by Aaron Orlowski, Eugene Water & Electric Board

A wintry mix of snow and freezing rain will begin falling in Eugene Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. EWEB crews are preparing for any possible outages.

In Eugene, review the EWEB power outage map at https://www.eweb.org/outages-and-safety/power-outages/power-outage-map.

If you do not see your outage on the map, call EWEB’s toll-free outage reporting line at 1-844-484-2300 or text OUT to TXEWEB (893932). You must complete all prompts to record your outage.

Forecasts indicate that this storm will be milder than the 2024 ice storm, when a total of 38,000 EWEB customers lost power at some point and when EWEB crews worked 16-hour days for nearly two weeks straight to get the power back on for customers.

Precipitation will initially begin as mixed freezing rain and snow Wednesday night, transitioning over primarily to freezing rain on Thursday. Significant ice accumulations will be possible. Ice and snow accumulation increase the risk of tree limbs falling on power lines which can lead to power outages and downed wires. 

EWEB has activated its incident response protocols and crews are on standby to brave the cold and ice overnight to get the power back on for any outages that do occur. The utility has confirmed that critical equipment and systems are ready to be used in restoration. As always, crews will focus first on making any dangerous areas safe, then assess the situation to develop response plans.

If community members see downed power lines, always assume the line is energized and stay at least 50 feet away. If the downed line is across a street or sidewalk, call 911. Remember to stop and observe to survive.

Tuesday marks highest demand of the winter so far

Demand for electricity in EWEB’s service territory ascended to the highest levels in nearly a decade Tuesday morning, Feb. 11.

Demand topped out around 8 a.m. at 493 megawatts. The official overnight low temperature descended to 22 degrees F, but some areas of Eugene saw temperatures dip into the teens.

Frigid temperatures cause energy demand to soar as heaters work harder to keep homes and businesses warm. Energy demand Tuesday morning topped this winter’s previous record of 475 MW, which occurred on Jan. 28.

“When the cold lingers for days on end, energy demand tends to build, as indoor spaces never fully warm up,” said Katrina Starr, an energy trader at EWEB. “The cold temperatures we’ve seen in the last few days have been the longest stretch of cold that we’ve seen since 2017.”

In 2017, energy demand soared to 524 MW Jan. 6, when low temperatures dropped to 13 degrees. But even that level of demand is well below EWEB’s all-time record, which took place Dec. 9, 2013, when temperatures plummeted to -10 degrees F. That morning around 9 a.m., EWEB customers were consuming 557 MW of electricity, as heaters worked full-bore to keep homes warm.

The highest energy demand of the year almost always occurs in January or February, when temperatures are their lowest and cold fronts bear down on the Pacific Northwest. The overnight lows are the primary driver of peak energy demand, which tends to occur in the early morning hours.

“In our area, peak demand happens during the winter,” said EWEB Chief Energy Resources Officer Brian Booth. “As we plan for the future, we need to carefully consider adding energy resources to our mix that we can ramp up during cold weather to keep people warm and safe. Our existing hydropower resources do this very well, but we’ll need additional on-demand resources that can keep up.”

The Eugene Water & Electric Board is Oregon’s largest customer-owned utility. Founded in 1911, EWEB provides water and electricity to approximately 96,000 customers in the Eugene-Springfield area. EWEB’s service area covers 236 square miles with a population of more than 200,000 people, including major institutions such as the University of Oregon.

A five-member elected Board of Commissioners governs the utility, which does not operate to earn a profit or to serve the investment needs of stockholders. Employing approximately 500 people, EWEB serves the people of Eugene by embodying core values of safety, reliability, affordability, environmental responsibility and community/culture.

EWEB owns four energy generation facilities, including hydroelectric projects on the McKenzie and Clackamas Rivers, and leads watershed protection measures with local landowners and environmental organizations. With one of the greenest energy supplies in the nation, approximately 90% of EWEB’s power comes from carbon-free sources, and EWEB is committed to achieving a 95% carbon-free energy portfolio by 2030.