One-Third Of U.S. At Elevated Risk Of Blackouts This Summer

Watchdog Warns: One-Third Of Country At Elevated Risk Of Blackouts This Summer

BY NAVEEN ATHRAPPULLY/

Parts of America could face difficulties in meeting electricity demand during the summer season, with renewable energy sources like wind and solar power posing a potential risk to reliable power supply, according to a report by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

The NERC report classifies several parts of the country as facing an "elevated" risk of summer electricity reliability for the upcoming June-September period.

Elevated risk means there is "potential for insufficient operating reserves" when the region faces above-normal demand conditions. Such regions include parts of Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Illinois, and Iowa. The determination of elevated risk is based on various factors, including potential low wind or solar energy condions that could lead to a lower electricity supply.

The North American power bulk power system (BPS) is made up of six regional entities--Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO), Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC), ReliabilityFirst (RF), SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC), Texas Reliability Entity (Texas RE), Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)--with elevated risk upcoming in certain regions.

Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which manages the electricity capacity market, operates in 15 U.S. states, including Texas, Illinois, Montana, Arkansas, and Kentucky. MISO is expected to have "sufficient resources" to meet normal summer peak demand, the NERC report said.

However, if MISO were to face above-normal peak demand conditions at a time when wind and solar output is lower than expected, it could be "challenging" for the transmission organization to meet demand.

"Wind generator performance during periods of high demand is a key factor in determining whether there is sufficient electricity supply on the system or if external (non-firm) supply assistance is required to maintain reliability."

The Texas RE ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) interconnection, which handles approximately 90 percent of Texas' electrical load, faces potential emergency conditions in summer evening hours "when solar generation begins to ramp down."

Under certain grid conditions, power transfers from South Texas to the San Antonio region have to be restricted, which contributes to "elevated risk" of supply. Such grid conditions occur when "demand is high and wind and solar output is low in specific areas, straining the transmission system."

In areas serviced by the WECC covering 14 states, including California and New Mexico, challenges to electricity reliability are estimated to be under "above-normal demand and low-resource conditions." Such a situation happens when there is low solar output or below-normal imports, the report said.

Commenting on the NERC report, Michelle Bloodworth, the CEO of America's Power, a partnership of industries involved in producing electricity from coal, said the assessment reveals that the American electricity grid is "increasingly reliant on weather-dependent sources of electricity" like solar and wind power.

This puts "one-third of the country at elevated risk of blackouts this summer," she said, adding that such risks are only poised to increase because of regulations imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).