UPDATE: LES says rolling blackouts could last 36 hours

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — LES says due to unprecedented energy demand brought on by the cold weather, Lincoln residents should be prepared for rolling blackouts to occur during the next two days.

An LES spokeswoman told Channel 8 Eyewitness News that the situation will continue all through Monday and Tuesday at least.

The rotating planned outages are typically limited to 30-60 minutes but may last longer.

If you experience an outage lasting more than one hour that you think may be outside of this situation you should report it to LES at LES.com/report or by calling 1-888-365-2412.

UPDATE AT 1:48 P.M. – LES says rolling blackouts are currently paused.

Due to an unprecedented energy demand during record low temperatures, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), Lincoln Electric System’s regional reliability coordinator, has notified utilities within its regional footprint that energy curtailments are required.

SPP declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 3, which means utilities across the SPP region have been instructed to begin rotating planned outages because there is not enough power available to keep up with customer demand.

MORE: Power Outages

Rotating planned outages are controlled, temporary interruptions of electrical service implemented by utilities when it is necessary for SPP to reduce demand on the system. This type of demand reduction is only used as a last resort to preserve the reliability of the electric grid.

Rotating planned outages are typically limited to 30 to 60 minutes — but may last longer — before being rotated to another location.

LES asks customers to continue to voluntarily and safely implement one or more energy-saving measures listed on LES.com.

As of 1 p.m., Lincoln Police say the outages are impacting traffic signals across southeast Lincoln. LPD could not provide a list of specific intersections and say the areas impacted will change throughout the day along with the rolling blackouts.