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Update 12/24/2022, 10:35 a.m.: TVA has lifted its STEP 50 protocol and is no longer performing rolling blackouts as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

NORTH ALABAMA (WHNT) – Power customers in North Alabama are experiencing rolling blackouts during some of the coldest weather our area has seen in decades.

Get the latest forecast information here.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) told local power companies to implement “Step 50” of the Emergency Load Curtailment Plan (ELCP). This means rolling blackouts will happen throughout our area.

The ELCP is put in place because of the stress put on the power grid due to the extreme cold weather.

TVA officials said the specifics of any potential interruptions will be managed by each local power company.

Friday night, Huntsville Utilities confirmed they would be initiating intermittent power outages. Customers should be prepared for outages lasting 30 minutes.

The DeKalb County EMA warned that Fort Payne Improvement Authority (FPIA) customers would lose power, one neighborhood at a time, for 30 minutes at a time. The Marshall DeKalb Electric Commission announced that as of 12:00 p.m. on Friday, rolling blackouts in their area were over, but they advised customers to continue monitoring social media and cut back usage as much as they can.

Huntsville Utilities, as well as Decatur Utilities and Athens Utilities, are asking their customers for voluntary curtailment. Customers are asked to reduce their electric consumption by turning off unneeded lights and by not using major appliances (ovens, washing machines, washers and dryers, etc.).

Colbert County EMA warned customers the local power companies had been asked to reduce consumption by 5%. They plan to have power interruptions at 15-minute intervals.

The Muscle Shoals Electric Board said they will initiate rolling blackouts in 30-minute intervals on a circuit-by-circuit basis, impacting all customers. If your power is out for longer than 30 minutes, they encourage customers to contact them.

Joe Wheeler EMC initiated rolling blackouts Friday night, before stopping them around 7 p.m. Saturday morning, they initiated them again before TVA ended them regionwide.