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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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A New York power company on Tuesday requested that customers avoid using microwaves and other large appliances as a heat wave stresses the electric grid.
The first heat wave of the season is impacting the Midwest and Northeast. As of Tuesday morning, the entire state of New York was under a heat advisory, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Heat index values were expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the heat was forecast to remain in New York until the weekend.
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The excessive heat has at least one provider urging people to conserve energy as millions of people rely on their air conditioners to keep cool. On Tuesday morning, Con Edison sent an email to its customers alerting them of actions they can take to help conserve energy during periods of increased demand. Con Edison is the largest electric provider in New York with more than 3.6 million customers.
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"Our crews are preparing to respond to any service problems as an intense heat wave settles over our area this week," a Con Edison email obtained by Newsweek said. "We'll be doing everything possible to keep your power reliable. You can help, too."
The email goes on to list ways people can conserve energy, including limiting use of large appliances such as microwaves, dishwashers, washers and dryers from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day. The company also suggested that customers use one large appliance at a time.
The email also suggested people set their air conditioning to the highest comfortable temperature.
Con Edison Director of Media Relations Jamie McShane told Newsweek that it's not unusual for the company to encourage the efficient use of energy year-round. McShane said meteorologists are monitoring the situation closely and the Con Edison staff is ready to respond to any issues customers encounter, but he has faith in the electric system that has seen upgrades to its substations, underground cables and overhead transformers over the past year.
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As of Tuesday morning, nearly 1,000 people in New York were without power, although only 148 of them were Con Edison customers, according to a map from poweroutage.us. The map's data said that 61 Con Edison customers were without power in Westchester County, 44 in Bronx County, 43 in Brooklyn County and one in Manhattan County.
According to the NWS HeatRisk, a tool used to forecast heat-related impacts over a 24-hour period, the most widespread heat-related impacts are expected in the Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday. Excessive impacts are expected each day, when "anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration" will be affected. The heat is expected to ebb in the Northeast by the weekend.
In the meantime, NWS meteorologists are urging people to stay hydrated and avoid strenuous outdoor activity during peak heat in the afternoon and evening hours.
Update 6/18/24, 1:32 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Con Edison.
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