
"Energy Conservation Urged as Heat Wave Drives Power Demand Surge"
As a weeklong heat wave hits St. Louis and surrounding areas, power consumption approaches all-time highs, prompting utilities like Ameren to request that customers conserve energy. The electric grid is on track to possibly tie or surpass its previous record for peak energy usage, with demand reaching 122 gigawatts. MISO, the grid overseer, declared a "Maximum Generation Emergency Event" and asked emergency sources of power generation to come online. Ameren assures customers it has sufficient capacity but asks them to raise thermostat temperatures, close curtains, and run high-energy appliances after 10 p.m. Experts suggest building more transmission and promoting energy efficiency to better prepare the grid for extreme heat. The heat wave is expected to end soon, but concerns remain about the grid's resilience under prolonged extreme conditions.




