Duke Energy is apologizing to thousands of customers after an alarming text sparked fears of rolling blackouts.
As reported by WRAL, the text encouraged residents to reduce their energy usage between 6 and 9 am on Friday (Jan. 5) to help conserve energy due to high demand during the freezing cold temperatures.
This sparked many concerns from customers, many of them recalling the 2022 blackout that left more than 500,000 people without power through Christmas weekend.
In an official statement, Duke Energy clarified, “The purpose is to inform customers about an expected surge in demand. We are taking measures to safeguard the grid’s reliability, and this serves as an opportunity for customers to be mindful that this time frame experiences peak usage. Any assistance from customers during this period is greatly appreciated.”
“Sorry for any confusion that the wording of that notification caused. We do not have any concerns about reliability tomorrow at this point. We are going to evaluate the wording used to improve any future cold-weather energy saving communications to customers,” added Jeff Brooks, Duke Energy grid specialist, on X.
