Transformer failed Monday knocking out power to more than 10,000 Evergy customers

Transformer failed Monday knocking out power to more than 10,000 Evergy customers

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Transformer failed Monday knocking out power to more than 10,000 Evergy customers

The heatwave means higher demand for energy across the metro and across the Midwest, which could put a strain on equipment used in the power grid.

The hot weather likely contributed to a transformer failure that knocked out power to more than 10,000 people Monday.

At about 3:45 p.m. Monday, an Evergy transformer failed and left some without power in the hottest part of the day.

"Typically, when we see high heat and high demand, it's possible we could see an equipment failure like we did. That's also to say that when we see milder temperatures, that's also possible too," said Andrew Baker, of Evergy.

Everybody's power was restored about 10 p.m. Monday.

Evergy stressed this was an equipment failure and not any kind of a blackout due to a strain on the power grid.

"Emergency interruption, commonly referred to as rolling blackouts, are not anticipated at this time. Currently, we have the adequate supply needed to meet customer demand through the summer," Baker said.

The Southwest Power Pool, which is the grid operator responsible for a 14-state region including parts of Missouri and all of Kansas, believes the demand for electricity could near or break an all-time high this summer.

The SPP also said its power supply is also ready to meet that demand. Right now, the biggest strain for Evergy is on its people working in the elements.

"Our line workers are the lifeblood of our company. They work in all conditions; extreme cold and extreme heat and they're trained to deal with these kinds of situations," Baker said.

Evergy said right now it is not requesting customers conserve electricity since it doesn't anticipate any problems.

Utility officials did share some tips for customers looking to save some money on their power bills:

NEWS RELEASE | Heat wave raises questions about power reliability Monday’s power outage and a voluntary thermostat program implementation combine to create questions about the power grid. https://t.co/hRbvhvOsmO

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