UPDATE – The grid emergency ended at 11:00 AM on 1/7/14.  During the vent, we were able to keep our total demand for main campus below 8600 kilowatts or approximately 150 kW less than for the same period yesterday.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Division of Campus Affairs

Facilities Management Services

TO:       ALL Facility Coordinators and Shutdown Group

FROM:  Service Response Center

DATE:  January 7, 2014

SUBJECT: GRID EMERGENCY FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA 1/7/14

Carnegie Mellon University has been has been asked to shed our power load today.  Our electric demand is relatively low because classes have not yet started and our main focus will be to minimize potential damage to our buildings.  But there are still things we can do to help keep the electric grid operating and preserve available capacity for those of our neighbors who depend on electricity to keep themselves warm.

Each person may help by keeping the temperature in your area moderated and shut off non-essential electrical equipment.  If you have dressed for the weather, perhaps you don’t need that electric space heater you operate on more temperate days.

Unfortunately Facilities Management Services will be working to keep all air handling equipment and pumps working to distribute heat around our buildings so we won’t be able to shut down equipment that we’d normally turn off during summertime grid events.

Thank you for your cooperation during this work, if you have any questions, contact Kyle Tomer, 8-6332 or e-mail kt2n@andrew.cmu.edu.