Switch back to TVA for BVU leaves some in cold

BRISTOL, Va. – Cold temperatures and a switch in power providers combined Wednesday morning to leave thousands of city residents shivering in the dark.

Early morning temperatures dropped to 15 degrees, prompting the heaviest power consumption so far this season. The high demand was compounded because Bristol Virginia Utilities had its Wolf Hills substation offline because it is switching to Tennessee Valley Authority electricity.

The high demand tripped breakers at the North Bristol substation, BVU President Wes Rosenbalm said.

"We had an imbalance with one or two circuits in the system," Rosenbalm said. "It was a combination of cold weather demand and the way the system is set up right now, as we complete the transition to TVA."

BVU is currently routing TVA power through its North Bristol substation. The Wolf Hills substation – disconnected at midnight Monday as part of the changeover – was scheduled to be reconnected Wednesday.

"That will now be done Friday," Rosenbalm said. "AEP [American Electric Power] had to postpone until then because of the weather."

No further problems are expected, he added.

BVU supplies electricity to about 16,000 commercial and residential customers in the city.

Across most of the city, the power was off twice Wednesday, Rosenbalm said. Parts of the downtown area, Benhams and the Lee Highway area near Interstate 81’s Exit 5 continued to lose power sporadically until about 10:30 a.m., he added.

"Our power was on and off five or six times between 8:30 and 10:30," said a manager of Burger King on Lee Highway. She declined to give her name.

"It did affect our business because as soon as the fryers would warm back up, the power went off again."

The nearby Shoney’s restaurant had to turn away "a couple of customers" because of the power outage, said a manager who also declined to give her name.

City resident Lee Barry said his home was uncomfortably cold while the power was out.

"We just have a heat pump and it got down to about 60 or 62 degrees. That’s cold," Barry said, adding that his only backup is a portable electric heater.

BVU is returning to TVA after a 10-year absence. The utility switched to Cinergy in 1997 seeking lower rates and then switched to AEP in 2004 amid a tumultuous power market. The BVU Board of Directors voted in 2006 to return to TVA to try and stabilize costs.

| (276) 645-2532