Anchorage Daily News

Anchorage and Southcentral utilities are asking residents to tone down their energy usage tonight in anticipation of potential natural gas delivery problems during winter cold spells.

The test, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight, is being coordinated by the city, with the help of Chugach Electric Association, Municipal Light and Power, Matanuska Electric Association, Homer Electric Association, Enstar, and the Mat-Su and Kenai Peninsula Boroughs. The agencies have worked together on a program called Energy Watch.

Residents are asked to lower thermostats to 65 degrees, shut off unnecessary lights and electronics, turning down water heaters to "warm" or "vacation" mode, and postpone washing dishes and laundry, along with cutting use of natural gas ranges.

The goal is to see what kind of effect voluntary actions might have on overall energy consumption, officials said. In the event of a real energy delivery problem, one of the first steps will be to ask residents to take voluntary steps similar to ones being proposed for today's trial run.

The utilities and agencies involved in the Energy Watch campaign have stressed that a natural gas delivery problem this winter is not likely. However, in case it does happen, officials want to have a plan in place.

For additional information about the Energy Watch campaign, go to home relectric.com., mea.coop or the city's Web site, muni.org.

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