Utility Dive
Summary
Climate change, rising energy demand and natural gas dependence mean “a massive grid disruption is inevitable,” said Mark Spurr, legislative director at the International District Energy Association.
Most of the North American electric grid can manage through normal peak winter conditions, but in extreme weather NERC said there are heightened risks extending across much of the eastern two-thirds of the continent.
“As observed in recent winter reliability events, over 20% of generating capacity has been forced off-line when freezing temperatures extend over parts of North America that are not typically exposed to such conditions,” the report warns. “When electricity supplies become constrained, [bulk power system] operators can face a simultaneous sharp increase in demand.”
It is only a matter of time before a widespread grid disruption occurs, according to Mark Spurr, legislative director at the International District Energy Association and president of engineering and consulting firm FVB Energy.
Spurr pointed to a confluence of three trends: an increase in severe weather events due to climate change, rising peak electricity demand and a growing dependence on natural gas. “A massive grid disruption is inevitable,” he said, because those factors are “getting worse, not better.”
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