US power grid under the microscope as eclipse begins
The first total solar eclipse to sweep the US from coast to coast in 99 years started to plunge broad swaths of the nation into darkness, the biggest test yet for the power grid since the rapid rise of renewable energy. Grid operators, utilities and electricity generators are bracing for more than 12,000 megawatts of solar power to start falling offline, as the moon blocks out the sun across a 70-mile-wide (113-km) corridor stretching from Oregon to South Carolina. This is the first major test of the power grid since America started bringing large amounts of intermittent solar and wind resources onto the system. Solar installations have grown ninefold since 2012 and renewable sources are forecast to supply just as much of America’s electricity demand as natural gas by 2040. The US power grid “hasn’t seen this sort of natural phenomenon since solar became a thing,” Nicholas Steckler, an analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said. “With so many renewables coming online, especially in the last five to ten years, there is more impact from an eclipse.” The eclipse will last for about four hours. Back-up, natural-gas plants and hydroelectric dams are at the ready to fill solar’s void along with new technologies to control demand. Local utility Portland General Electric reported no issues so far. Concerns beforehand had more to do with ensuring traffic wouldn’t block workers’ ability to restore possible power outages. “Our main preparation was to make sure equipment was spread out throughout our service territory,” said Laurel Schmidt, a company spokeswoman. First Solar, the biggest US solar manufacturer, spent a year planning for the eclipse, including holding dress rehearsals. “We expect there will be unexpected things, it’s a pretty big megawatt drop,” said William Byrd, First Solar’s operations manager. Regional grid operators from California to Pennsylvania plan to provide real-time updates on how their networks are handling fluctuating power flows as millions of Americans head outside to gaze at the sky.