This week I read an article discussing impacts to the electrical grid during the severe winter weather. PowerOutage.us provides regional information on electric customers without power. The U.S. map provides yellow labels for at least 10,000 customers currently without power in Colorado and Washington states. In addition, close to 60,000 customers are without power in Oregon. The interactive map allows for more information for each state and county.

The MSN news article describes how extreme cold weather in Texas caused excessive demand and under supply of electricity; so on Friday, the U.S. Department of Energy declared an emergency warning allowing the state regulator to boost energy generation from all sources including dirtier fuel oil releasing more pollution! So how much more?

The U.S. Energy Information Agency provides a list of carbon dioxide emissions indicating fuel oil like kerosene and diesel release an average of 162 pounds (of carbon dioxide per million BTUs) while natural gas releases about 117 pounds. This can result in many tons of carbon dioxide released to the air and other pollutants creating smog such as oxides of nitrogen, sulfur and organic chemicals.

The best way for consumers to help prevent or mitigate these emergencies is to reduce demand and support increases in clean energy supplies. We can turn our thermostat down by a few degrees, limit electric consumption, and add more layers of clothes.