Rural electric cooperatives across South Dakota and many other states have been selling and installing high capacity “Marathon” hot water heaters for years. New federal regulations may put an end to installing those units.

John Gors is the general manager of Clay-Union Electric in Vermillion. He says new rules from the Department of Energy is pushing people to different types of electric hot water heaters…

 

Gors says they are concerned they will lose the ability to control the electrical use by the “Marathon” hot water heaters…

 

Gors estimates it would be the equivalent of needing a one hundred megawatt power plant to make up the difference…

 

Gors says rural electric cooperatives will ask the new session of Congress to change the rule on the use of hot water heaters.