Amid sub-zero temperatures, more than a million customers across Wisconsin are being told to conserve natural gas due to a pipeline failure.
We Energies advised customers to immediately turn their thermostats to 62 degrees or less on Friday night to prevent widespread service outages.
Guardian Pipeline notified customers on Friday that it had restricted the flow of northbound gas on an interstate pipeline due to unplanned maintenance at a compressor station in Illinois.
We Energies spokesman Brendan Conway said Guardian had cut gas supplies at the utilities by 30%.
Conway said the utilities are siphoning off LNG and propane storage facilities and have cut gas supplies to business customers whose contracts allow outages. But due to extreme cold gripping much of the country, the facility is unable to get gas from other pipeline suppliers.
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A spokesperson for the pipeline company said one of the two faulty valves was repaired Friday night and crews are working on the second to restore capacity “in due course”.
We Energies said it would reassess the situation and update customers on Saturday.
In addition to turning off thermostats, the company is asking residents to avoid secondary gas heaters, ovens, stoves, and clothes dryers.
The National Weather Service forecast low temperatures of zero to minus 14 degrees across Wisconsin Friday night.
Winter survival tips
With temperatures dipping below zero and wind chills dropping below that, emergency officials are urging residents to stay safe. And the combination of drifting snow and freezing temperatures makes travel particularly perilous. Here are some tips for weathering the storm.
• If possible, stay indoors. Limit the time pets spend outdoors.
• If you must go out, wear several loose layers. Put on a hat, mittens, and snowshoes. Use a scarf to cover your mouth and face.
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of hypothermia, including shivering, fatigue, confusion, and slurred speech.
• Learn about the signs and symptoms of frostbite, including redness or pain in any area of skin.
• Check out friends, family and neighbors. People most at risk from a cold are the elderly, children, people who spend a lot of time outside, such as the homeless and hunters, and people who drink alcohol or use drugs.
• Prepare emergency kits for your home and vehicle that include blankets, snacks, water, medicine and other essentials. Keep the gas tank at least half full. Go to readywisconsin.wi.gov/make-a-kit for tips on how to prepare emergency kits.
• Check to be sure that snow does not block the outdoor furnace and hot water vents, which could cause dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to build up in the home.
If your power is cut off:
• Close unused spaces and limit the number of times you open exterior doors.
• Open the tanks to prevent the pipes from freezing. In the event of an extended outage, leave the faucet partially open to keep the water moving.
• Never use an unventilated stove, oven, grill, or heater to stay warm, and never operate portable generators indoors because these devices release carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that can be fatal.
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