Could Texas’ power woes happen here? Pennsylvania grid monitor says not likely
Texas’ grid operators have gained an upper hand on returning power to most residents and businesses since a winter storm knocked out power to more than 4 million customers.
It’s not just happening in Texas. Associated Press reported utilities from Minnesota to Mississippi imposed rolling blackouts to ease the strain on electrical grids buckling under high demand during the last week. And power outages or planned, rolling blackouts have become a rite of summer and autumn in California, partly to reduce the chances of deadly wildfires.Could the Keystone State see a scenario like the Lone Star State?
“It’s unlikely and we take every precaution and every step possible to ensure reliability,” said Susan Buehler, spokesperson for PJM Interconnection LLC, the Montgomery County operator that monitors the nation’s largest electric grid, including all of Pennsylvania. PJM said in a statement that a diverse fuel mix and robust reserve margin, regional transmission planning and winter preparation allow for grid reliability. PJM said the interconnection agency and member utilities, which include PPL Electric Utilities and FirstEnergy, owner of Met-Ed, plan throughout the year for winter conditions. Most generating plants are constructed in anticipation of the cold, PJM said.
“Our power plants are built for freezing temperatures and winterized,” Buehler said. “PJM and its member utility companies plan for extreme weather. Reliability is our most important responsibility.” In the statement issued Thursday, PJM said the peak load reached the week of Feb. 14 for the region was about 117,000 megawatts. PJM’s all-time winter peak is 143,295 megawatts, set Feb. 20, 2015. And while maintaining reliability for its system, PJM was also able to provide electricity to neighboring regions. PJM electricity exports set records Monday and Tuesday, with its delivery more than doubling what it would export on a typical day. “While we have been sharing power with our neighbors to the west,” Buehler said, “there are times we receive power.”
Among its roles, PJM said it analyzes expected demand for electricity, weather predictions and other factors to develop its forecast for winter operations and to procure necessary resources using its competitive markets. PJM also works with utilities to prepare for cold weather by testing resources, conducting drills and surveying generators for fuel inventory.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which regulates electric providers such as PPL and Met-Ed, referred questions to PJM. Talen Energy of Allentown, which operates plants in Pennsylvania and Texas, and is based in The Woodlands, Texas, declined to comment.
PJM, which is based near Valley Forge, oversees the electric grid for 65 million people in Pennsylvania, 12 states and Washington, D.C. Its reassurances have come before, such as early in the coronavirus pandemic, when questions arose as to the grid’s reliability while people began working from home.