(Natural News) The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) 2021 Summer Reliability Assessment shows that parts of the U.S. are at elevated or high risk for potential electricity emergencies this summer. According to NERC’s assessment, electric supply shortages may occur in the western parts of the country, Texas, New England and parts of the Midwest.
NERC is a nonprofit international regulatory organization that oversees regional electric reliability entities in the Lower 48 states, Canada and parts of Mexico. At the beginning of each summer, NERC publishes a reliability assessment that tabulates anticipated electricity demand and supply changes and highlights any regional challenges or expected conditions that may affect the bulk power system.
The above-normal summer heat increases electricity demand from temperature-dependent loads like air conditioning. It can also cause heat-related problems to power plants, thus reducing electricity supplies. Wide-area heat waves can also pose a challenge to grid operators and may limit electricity transfers because the electricity is needed to meet local demands.
Resource and energy sufficiency, or lack of it, is a significant concern this summer in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) that covers the western half of the country. Generating capacity and projected electricity demand are at similar levels as they were in 2020, when an August wide-area heatwave caused rolling blackouts.
NERC found that WECC sub-regions in the Southwest and Northwest have enough resources to meet electricity demand under normal peak summer demand conditions, but they are at elevated risk of electricity shortfalls if demand is higher. NERC calculates electricity demand based on past demands.
The highest risk of electricity emergency is in California, a WECC sub-region, which relies heavily on energy imports during normal peak summer demand and when solar generation declines in the late afternoon. (Related: Drought could force California power plant to shut down at hottest time of the year.)
“California is at risk of energy emergencies during periods of normal peak summer demand and high risk when above-normal demand is widespread in the West,” NERC’s assessment stated.
The state has gained new flexible resources to help meet demand when solar energy is unavailable, but it is at high risk of…
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