Downtown Seattle asked to cut power usage

SEATTLE - Seattle City Light is asking its customers in the downtown core to cut power usage to avoid a massive blackout, after banks of transformers failed at the height of the summer's worst heat wave. Utility spokesman Mike Eagan says workers were doing maintenance on two banks of transformers at the Union Street substation Friday when two others failed. That left only two of the six banks there working.And with temperatures potentially reaching record highs in the 90s, officials are worried they won't have enough power to go around. Peak demand on the substation could reach 100 megawatts, but its capacity right now is just 80 megawatts.City Light initially planned to cut power to businesses along the waterfront, from Pier 52 to Broad Street, to perform repairs to the transformer banks.But that plan was scrapped after one bank of transformers was brought back on line, leaving three of the six out of commission.A fourth bank of transformers should be back in service by 4 p.m., and that should be enough to handle higher-than-usual demand, City Light officials said.

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