NOON UPDATE: Duke Energy is urging customers across the Carolinas to reduce electricity use during peak demand hours Monday morning as extremely cold temperatures strain the regional power grid.
The utility asked customers to conserve energy from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2, when demand is expected to be highest. Temperatures across the region are forecast to run 10 to 20 degrees below normal, driving unusually high electricity use along much of the East Coast, including the Carolinas.
Duke Energy said limited power supplies during the cold snap increase the risk of outages if demand is not reduced…