Duke Energy Corp. asked customers in North and South Carolina to curtail energy use over the next 24 hours to reduce the potential for isolated power outages as frigid temperatures are expected to increase pressure on the electrical grid. Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke operates utilities that serve more than seven million customers in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. “The forecasted conditions are very similar to those we experienced last January during the Polar Vortex, and are affecting a large portion of the country,” said Nelson Peeler, Duke Energy vice president of transmission system operations. Mr. Peeler said Duke Energy expects to have sufficient generating resources to meet demand but added that conditions may change quickly. If necessary, the company may need to “initiate forced power reductions that would result in rotating or sustained power outages across the grid.” The company is asking customers to take voluntary measures that […]