DES MOINES, Iowa (KELO.com) — While extreme weather conditions are expected to continue across the country throughout the week, MidAmerican Energy’s natural gas and electric delivery systems are well-positioned to serve its customers through the duration of the cold snap.
High demand for energy has strained the electric supply in some portions of the regional electric grid, including those in parts of Missouri, Nebraska and even areas in Iowa not served by MidAmerican. That has prompted some utilities in those areas to initiate rolling blackouts to prevent widespread and longer-lasting outages. MidAmerican operates in a different portion of the electric grid that is not experiencing the same challenges. The company remains capable of serving all of MidAmerican’s customer load without interruption.
“Being obsessively, relentlessly at your service means delivering the energy our customers depend on in the worst of conditions – that’s what we prepare for and it’s why we are constantly investing in the resiliency and reliability of our systems,” John Guy, vice president of electric delivery at MidAmerican, said. “We were there for our customers yesterday, we’ll deliver the energy they need today and they can count on us to be there tomorrow, too.”
Freezing temperatures in the southern U.S. disrupted energy production and, coupled with unprecedented demand, created outages in those areas that extended into the Midwest.
To support our neighbors to the south and west experiencing those challenges, MidAmerican encouraged its customers to conserve natural gas and electricity usage. While MidAmerican’s system is strong and operating as expected to deliver energy to meet demand, customers are still encouraged to conserve to save both energy and money. As customers use more energy during cold conditions, utility bills are likely to increase. Making small changes that don’t sacrifice comfort or safety can help keep bills lower.
Customers can get energy conservation tips at www.midamericanenergy.com/newsroom/2021-save-during-arctic-cold. MidAmerican also encourages customers who are experiencing financial difficulties to call 888-427-5632 to discuss payment options or get connected with resources that can help.
