East River Electric customers asked to conserve energy

MADISON, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - All East River Electric Customers are being asked to conserve energy until Wednesday. The regional transmission organization, Southwest Power Pool, is requesting this because of the extreme cold weather conditions. The organization is hoping it will help reduce the demands on the power grid and mitigate the risk of widespread and extended outages.

Customers can do things like turn down their thermostat a few degrees, delay the use of large appliances, and turn off unnecessary lights.

Membership for East River Electric includes 24 distribution electric cooperatives and one municipal electric system in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. The organization serves 250,000 homes and businesses.