NorthWestern Corporation : - South Dakotans asked to conserve during energy emergency due to extreme temperatures
February 16, 2021 at 09:07 am EST
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Sioux Falls - South Dakotans are asked to reduce electric and natural gas use for the next 48 hours to mitigate the risk of more widespread and longer-lasting outages during the extreme cold that is gripping the region.
Energy reserves are constrained and there is the risk that there will not be enough supply to meet demand. NorthWestern Energy is a member of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which operates in the energy grid in South Dakota. SPP has directed members, including NorthWestern Energy, to ask its customers to reduce their energy usage to help prevent the need to mandate rolling blackouts, such as are already occurring in places like Texas.
'The extended and deep cold wave blanketing the midsection of the country is stressing the electric grid in historic proportions,' Chris Nelson, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Chairman. 'This is the type of moment where all South Dakotans need to pitch in to reduce electricity consumption to help keep the grid reliable for all of us. Thank you!'
South Dakota residential customers can help by: turning down thermostats to 68-degrees or lower; turning off and unplugging non-essential lights and appliances; avoiding using large appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and washing machines and delaying taking showers or baths until peak demand for energy drops.
South Dakota commercial customers can help by: minimizing the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Some businesses may be able to reduce their demand for energy by delaying when they open or when they ramp up a shift.
SPP is coordinating closely with NorthWestern Energy and other members to respond to high demand for electricity, inadequate supply of natural gas, and wind-forecast uncertainty.
About NorthWestern Energy (Nasdaq: NWE)
NorthWestern Corporation, doing business as NorthWestern Energy, provides electricity and / or natural gas to approximately 734,800 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. We have generated and distributed electricity in South Dakota and distributed natural gas in South Dakota and Nebraska since 1923 and have generated and distributed electricity and distributed natural gas in Montana since 2002.
NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc., doing business as NorthWestern Energy, provides essential energy infrastructure and valuable services. The Company operates through two segments: electric utility operations and natural gas utility operations. The electric utility operations segment includes the generation, purchase, transmission and distribution of electricity. The natural gas utility operations segment includes the production, purchase, transmission, storage, and distribution of natural gas. It provides electricity and / or natural gas to approximately 775,300 customers in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Yellowstone National Park. Its operations in Montana and Yellowstone National Park are conducted through its subsidiary, NorthWestern Corporation, and its operations in South Dakota and Nebraska are conducted through its subsidiary, NorthWestern Energy Public Service Corporation. Its customer base consists of a mix of residential, commercial, and diversified industrial customers.
NORTHWESTERN ENERGY GROUP, INC. 
