Scorching temperatures could force temporary outages

Energy usage could lead to sustained outages in communities across state

An electricity substation in Pierre. (Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

A series of over 100-degree days across much of South Dakota creates the urge to turn down the thermostat. 

But according to officials in the energy industry, too many people doing that at one time could spell temporary disaster for the grid.

Cities like Pierre are warning residents that they could experience “energy shortages” when the temperatures become too extreme. 

“Energy is generated on demand; it is created at the immediate time of use,” said Brad Palmer, utilities director with the city of Pierre. “That means our power providers can’t predict when, exactly, or if there will be an energy shortage that leads to a call for short-term power outages.”

So when the amount of energy required is not ready to generate on demand, it leads to outages. In Pierre, officials warn that those outages could be up to two hours long but would likely not impact the entire city.

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