(Rutherford County, TN - UPDATED) The recent cold weather snap that hit Murfreesboro on Thursday night and into Christmas weekend, eventually led to rolling blackouts this past Saturday. It was those coordinated blackouts across Rutherford County and throughout the state that essentially saved the electrical grid from totally shutting down… That was Amy Byers, Communications Director for Middle Tennessee Electric based in Murfreesboro. Byers said after the TVA told the local utility provider to reduce their load… That said, the first round of blackouts were a coordinated effort with local factories, companies and other commercial members on a day that windchills were as low as negative 25-degrees.

As the single digit temperature and negative windchill continued to drop into Friday night and Saturday morning, the TVA said that more had to be done to prevent a major blackout. Byers noted that Middle Tennessee Electric understood the hardship of residential power being shut-down as homes were filled with visiting family and friends staying for the holidays… Ultimately, the rolling blackouts had to occur throughout Rutherford County and across the state to prevent a major power disruption that could have lasted for days, as opposed to minutes.

Hear the complete interview with Middle Tennessee Electric by WGNS’ Scott Walker…