We experienced much the same during the last part of June and the initial days of July. June started out unusually cool and saved most of its firepower for the end of the month. That extended into a multi-day extreme heat event that lasted throughout the entire July Fourth weekend. In fact, New Bern set a new Fourth of July temperature record with a high of 97°F.

Forecasters and event organizers weren’t the only ones on edge about the high temperatures that plagued the nation’s semiquincentennial activities. The U.S. Department of Energy issued emergency orders pertaining to power generation and transmission in 13 states and the District of Columbia during the holiday weekend. Thanks to experienced system operators and a growing menu of demand reduction tools, energy reserves held and no service interruptions were experienced due to a lack of generating resources.

Following the record setting demand Tideland experienced in January and February 2026, which tipped us back into a wholesale power cost adjustment charge months sooner than
anticipated, we nervously watched our own peak demand trends in early July due to the financial implications of elevated market pricing. Thanks to the demand reduction strategies
employed by North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, which include several megawatts of battery storage on Tideland’s system, we feel good about our overall pricing position through that unbearably hot weekend. We are also thankful for the efforts of our growing contingent of time-of-use rate members and those of you who decided to chip in and do your part as well.

As hot as the Fourth shaped up to be, at press time, July was only trending 1.8°F above average for the month in Tideland territory. If you want to monitor your own energy use trends in relation to outdoor temperatures, be sure to log into the Member Portal and go to Usage History. In fact, it is the perfect indoor activity for those over-the-top hot, humid days.

Take care and be safe.