City of St. George declares red-alert day to avoid rolling blackouts

Photo Courtesy: SGcity.org

ST. GEORGE, Utah, June 17, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The city of St. George declared a red-alert day Thursday in an effort to avoid rolling blackouts.

“Today, for the first time, we issued a red-alert day for customers of St. George Energy Services as well as Dixie Power, which covers St. George and some additional cities,” said a tweet from St. George City. “Red days mean power demand is excessive and resources may be limited.”

On a red day, residents are urged to:

  • Avoid opening and closing doors to the outside.
  • Not use electrical appliances.
  • Set thermostat at 80 degrees or higher.
  • Make sure the pool pump is off.
  • If you have an electric vehicle, make sure it is not recharging.
  • If power is interrupted, avoid opening the refrigerator. Most refrigerators will keep food cool for up to four hours if the door is kept closed.

During the weekdays of June, July, and August, St. George will use color-coded alerts — green, orange, and red — to advise customers on what they should do based on the current conditions. Notices will be posted on St. George’s website, and on social media.

A follow-up tweet added: “Please make it a habit to check it out and adjust your power usage accordingly. Let’s all work together to avoid service interruptions!”

If the notice is green, residents are asked to:

  • Adjust thermostat two degrees higher than you are comfortable.
  • Leave air vents open.
  • Close the drapes to reduce the amount of heat transfer into your home.
  • Turn off unused electrical equipment when you leave the room, such as TVs and lights.

On an orange day, residents are asked to:

  • Avoid using the oven.
  • Reduce energy use during peak hours, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Avoid opening and closing doors to the outside.

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