Energy companies not expecting major heat-related issues

UPDATE: Rising temperatures and high humidity mean that more air conditioning units are running on a round-the-clock schedule, placing more pressure on energy companies to remain under usage capacity.

Alliant Energy spokesman Justin Foss said some businesses in the Corridor might lose all or part of their electrical supply this afternoon as part of Alliant's interruptible power program, designed to conserve energy during peak usage periods.

Foss said he couldn't provide a comprehensive list, because business customers also have the option to “buy” their way through the interruption.

Residential customers that participating in "cycling" programs will probably see their air conditioning units cycle on-and-off this afternoon, while businesses that are on interruptible power may need to switch to generators.

MidAmerican Energy media relations manager Tina Potthoff said that members of the company's "Summer Savers" program may also see their air conditioning cycled on and off during the day.

Potthoff  also stressed that although approximately 1,400 customers in Iowa City and Coralville were without power due to a mechanical issue for a brief period of time slightly before noon, the company does not foresee any major issues due to the heat.

"Last year, MidAmerican Energy hit a record peak load of approximately 4,500 megawatts on July 14," Potthoff said. "However, even then, we still had enough capacity to serve our customers."

Read more about interruptible power programs and other energy saving measures at

Business380.com