Dec. 23, 2022 9:35p; Updated 11:50p; Updated 12-24 9a
(WGTD)---A spokesman for We Energies says the company’s urgent appeal to customers to limit natural gas use has ended.
A pipeline malfunction prompted the utility to urge residential customers Friday evening to turn down their thermostats and avoid using natural gas appliances because of a problem with a pipeline owned by another company. The request was "nothing we've had to deal with before," said Brendan Conway.
By late Friday evening, the situation had cooled off, so to speak. “Thanks to the efforts we took and our customers’ response to our broad public appeal to turn down their thermostats, the system has stabilized,” Conway said in an email sent just before midnight.
By Saturday morning, the crisis was over.
While it's not uncommon for the utility to have to switch to alternate sources, the timing of this issue--in the middle of a bitter cold snap affecting much of the country--made it impossible for We Energies to secure gas from another pipeline supplier, Conway told us.
The pipeline problem occurred in DeKalb County, Illinois when two valves malfunctioned in a compressor station, according to pipeline owner ONEOK, Inc. In an email Friday evening, spokesman Brad Borror said one of the valves had already been repaired.
We Energies said its ask to customers was meant to help avoid "a significant natural gas outage." The request was made after We Energies took "numerous" steps during the day to reduce demand, including drawing from its liquefied natural gas and propane storage facilities, and reducing natural gas to business customers who have agreed to special billing in these types of events.
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