AEP Ohio asks central Ohioans to reduce power use till Christmas morning

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- With frigid temperatures sticking around across the Midwest over Christmas weekend, millions of people are being asked to reduce power use, including in Ohio.

Saturday morning, AEP Ohio in coordination with PJM, the company responsible for routing electricity transmissions across 13 states, made an emergency request for customers on its power grid to reduce electricity usage until 10 a.m. on Christmas Day.

The order comes while much of Ohio remains in some form of a winter weather advisory or warning. Currently, AEP is reporting a little over 2,900 outages in central Ohio.

The recommendations to lower your electricity made by AEP Ohio include:

• Setting your thermostat lower than usual, if health allows
• Postponing use of major electric appliances like stoves, dishwashers, and dryers.
• Turning off non-essential electric lights, equipment, and appliances

“We are actively working with PJM and other regional utilities to minimize the impact of this event on our customers,” said Marc Reitter, AEP Ohio president and chief operating officer. “We understand that cutting back on use of electricity can be inconvenient and uncomfortable, especially during the holidays. This is a necessary step to prevent broader power interruptions, and we appreciate our customers’ efforts.”

AEP Ohio states that PJM could direct them to begin grid protection power outages if further emergency action is required to reduce load on its grid.