COLUMBIA, S.C. — With temperatures dropping into the single digits and teens, Gov. Henry McMaster is asking South Carolinians to ease up on energy use, especially during the early morning hours.
State officials say the biggest concern is between 4 and 10 a.m., when a lot of people are waking up, turning up the heat and running appliances at the same time. That sudden surge in demand can put extra strain on the power grid and raise the risk of outages.
“Cold weather just drives up heat demand on our state’s power grid,” said Erin Siebert, energy policy manager with Conservation Voters of South Carolina. “Heat pumps have to work harder and longer, which means they’re using more electricity.” And it’s not just icy roads or downed power lines that can cause problems. Siebert said extreme cold can also impact power plants themselves, with some equipment freezing or failing to operate as expected…