By administrator,
May 9, 2022 4:27 pm
Via Katherine Blunt
From California to Texas to Indiana, grid operators are warning that power generation capacity struggling to keep up with demanda loophole can lead to power outages during heat waves or other peak periods as early as this year.
California’s grid operator said Friday that it anticipates a supply shortfall this summer, especially if extreme heat, wildfires or delays in bringing new power sources online. . aggravate the constraints. The China Independent Systems Operator, or MISO, which oversees a large regional power grid that spans much of the Midwest, said late last month that capacity shortages could force it to take measures. emergency to meet summer demand and the risk of power outages. In Texas, where several power plants have recently been shut down for maintenance, the grid operator has warned of shortages during a heatwave expected to last next week.
The risk of power shortages is increasing across the US as usual power plants are being retired faster than they can replaced by renewable energy and battery storage. The grid is feeling the strain as the United States makes a historic transition from conventional power plants powered by coal and natural gas to cleaner forms of energy. such as wind and solar energyand aging nuclear plants are expected to be shut down in many parts of the country.
The challenge is that wind and solar farms – which are among the cheapest forms of electricity generation – don’t produce electricity all the time and need large batteries to store their output for later use. While a large amount battery storage under developmentRegional grid operators recently warned that speeds may not be fast enough to offset the closure of traditional power plants that can operate around the clock.
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