Charlotte community center closes from power outage as heatwave hits Queen City
Some Mecklenburg County services have been canceled following a power outage at the Valerie C. Woodard Community Services Center in west Charlotte Thursday, a news release from the center said.
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The center, which provides in-person assistance with food and nutrition, housing, and public health, said people could find assistance at other community centers or online.
Heatwaves can cause disruptions and outages to power, according to Duke Energy. Charlotte is expected to see temperatures hit the triple digits Thursday through Saturday.
Because of the potential strain on the grid, Duke Energy said people should adjust their energy use, particularly with air conditioning.
The energy company said people should adjust their A/C to “comfortably” match the weather outside, run fans counterclockwise to push cool air into rooms, and draw blinds and cover windows to keep rooms cool.
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The county said in a press release that several recreation centers and homeless shelters will provide day services during the heatwave to help people get indoors and avoid potential illness.
Data centers, which help power technology like artificial intelligence, pose a risk to the power grid, according to the Wall Street Journal. The facilities require near-constant cooling systems to keep systems from overheating.
To combat the potential strain, grid operators have been given permission by the U.S. Department of Energy to curtail power to data centers if needed to prevent outages during the heatwave, the Journal reported.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 10:45 AM.
