Heat hits Massachusetts, straining electric grid as residents scramble to stay cool

With a heat wave settling into Massachusetts and air conditioners kicking into high gear, the state’s electric grid is fighting to keep up.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday ISO New England issued an “Abnormal Conditions” alert for all of New England requesting. That status serves primarily as an alert to power system operators and market participants and is not meant as  “a request for electricity conservation,” according to the grid operator’s website.

ISO New England did not respond to requests for further information.

The Boston area, like much of Massachusetts, will see highs in the upper 80s and low 90s through Friday. Mayor Michelle Wu said Tuesday while the city is not declaring a heat emergency, residents are encouraged to “take the necessary precautions such as taking breaks when working outside, staying hydrated, and checking on each other in the heat.”

Power outages appeared to remain relatively low in Massachusetts through the heat Tuesday afternoon, not spiking above 100 electric customers of major carriers Eversource and National Grid effected, according to the state’s outage map at around 5 p.m.

Meanwhile north in New Hampshire, residents got hit hard by outages, with over 1,500 Eversource electric customers feeling the impact around 5 p.m.

A Massachusetts representative for Eversource said the company is prepared to meet the increased demand over the next several days across the region during the expected “stretch of high heat and oppressive humidity.”

“On average, our customers in Massachusetts use about 40% more electricity to keep cool when it’s sweltering outside, and while high usage can put a strain on the grid, we’re constantly working to ensure safe, reliable service for our customers and our crews are always ready to respond to any outages or other issues that may arise,” said Eversource spokesperson Kyle Costa. “Our remote system operators are also continuously monitoring the system to identify and address any potential localized issues before they occur.”

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Electric providers offered many energy efficiency tips to keep costs and energy use down, including having central air conditioning units regularly serviced, planning for your trips away from home to save energy, replacing air filters, installing LED bulbs and more.

The City of Boston reminded residents that Boston emergency services typically experience an 10-15% increase in 911 calls during heat waves and encouraged people to take advantage of resources like pools and public library locations to escape the high temperatures outside. Heat safety tips can be found at boston.gov/heat.

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