Waistlines aren’t the only things that expand on Thanksgiving Day

Bonneville Power Administration operators are prepared for an energy anomaly that they see every Thanksgiving Day and have nicknamed “the turkey bulge”. Each year they plan for an unusual bulge, or peak, of electricity use in the morning as millions of people across the Pacific Northwest gather to cook meals.

On a typical November weekday, BPA’s regional load sees two peaks – one in the morning and one in the evening. But on Thanksgiving a different pattern emerges. Unlike a typical morning when electricity usage peaks around 7 or 8 a.m., Thanksgiving ramps up at 9 a.m. as people begin to cook their turkeys and pies.

Power consumption on Thanksgiving then tends to stay up higher throughout the morning compared to a normal day. When Thanksgiving cooking concludes and tryptophan kicks in, energy loads wane and stay low for the rest of the day, rather than increasing again as they would on normal weekdays.

BPA and other utilities around the Northwest keep watch on the electricity consumption of the region’s consumers day and night, 365 days a year. They ensure that there is enough output from power plants, which BPA provides mainly from renewable hydropower, and transmission available to keep the lights on. 

BPA’s power and transmission system experts carefully watch weather and special events that can impact electricity usage and line crews are available around the clock in case any of the more than 15,000 circuit miles of high voltage transmission lines go down.

Heading to a Thanksgiving dinner with friends or family? Try out these Five Conservation Starts for Thanksgiving Dinner.