Kinston considers rotating outages during power supply emergencies
Kinston electric customers could experience rotating outages during severe power supply shortages under a proposed emergency response plan scheduled for discussion at the City Council’s Nov. 2 meeting.
City staff proposes rotating affected electric circuits every 20 to 30 minutes to limit how long customers lose power during an emergency, according to an Oct. 28 memo from Public Services Director Steve Miller.
An emergency could require Kinston to reduce its electric load by 1% to 20%, depending on the severity of the shortage. Miller’s memo estimates an event could last one to six hours, although its duration would be uncertain.
Miller and Electric System Manager Eric Norris are scheduled to present the draft plan during the council’s 5:30 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 207 E. King St. The item is listed for information and discussion, with no vote requested.
The proposal addresses situations in which demand approaches the available electricity supply. According to Miller’s memo, a 2023 amendment to the power purchase agreement between Duke Energy Progress and the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency requires the agency and its members, including Kinston, to follow Duke’s load reduction and system restoration plan.
The response has three alert levels.
Level 1 initiates normal load management programs. Level 2 calls for additional system resources and voluntary reductions by customers.
Level 3 applies when those measures fail to achieve sufficient reductions. Duke would reduce the power supplied to wholesale customers such as Kinston, requiring the city to lower demand on its own system until the full supply could be restored.
That could mean temporarily shutting off power to some customers.
Staff prefers rotating outages over leaving particular circuits disconnected for the entire emergency, according to the memo. The proposed 20- to 30-minute rotation would occur within an event that could last several hours.
Circuit selection remains a key planning issue. Miller’s memo identifies critical facilities such as the hospital, customers already participating in load management and circuits with equipment capable of supporting the switching as considerations.
The memo does not identify which circuits would be affected or specify whether any facilities would be exempt from outages. It also does not describe how customers would receive advance notice or how the city would address the needs of residents who rely on electrically powered medical equipment.
Those details will be important for households and businesses preparing for a possible interruption.
Staff plans to prepare a final version for council adoption at the Dec. 1 meeting. According to Miller’s memo, Kinston must have a plan in place by Dec. 31.
The Nov. 2 meeting will be held in person and livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel, @thecityofkinston. It also will be available on KTV Channel 2.
Residents wishing to address council during citizen comment must sign in before the meeting begins. Each speaker may speak for up to three minutes.
