The effects of widespread high temperatures have led to tightening electric reliability conditions in Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) 14-state service territory in the central U.S.
The grid that covers Oklahoma issued an Energy Emergency Alert 1 (EEA1) effective at 12:30 pm central time and until further notice.
The declaration of an EEA1 does not require conservation of energy and does not indicate that SPP will be directing controlled service outages. Instead, an EEA1 is an indication that while SPP has enough generation available to meet demand and fulfill its reserve obligations, conditions exist that could put reserves at risk if they worsen.
End-use customers in the SPP region should follow their local utilities’ instructions regarding the potential for outages, the need to conserve electricity or natural gas, and other steps to ensure their safety and the integrity of the regional grid.
An EEA1 is the first of three levels of energy emergency alert. An EEA2 would be triggered if SPP could no longer meet expected energy reserve requirements, or if SPP foresaw or had taken actions up to but excluding the interruption of firm load obligations.
The alert means, according to the Southwest Power Pool, that all available generators are being dispatched to meet region-wide demand. As conditions worsen and reserves become at risk, voluntary conservation or service interruptions may be necessary to prevent uncontrolled outages.
It also does not mean the SPP will be directing controlled service outages. However, the anticipated increased demand is apparently a result of continuing high temperatures and even higher heat indexes in some of the states.
The following chart shows the relative severity of an EEA1:
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid that covers Texas indicated it handled new peak demand last week when record temperatures were recorded across the state. ERCOT stated it was able to provide electrical service and do so without requiring customers to conserve electricity.
