Electricity is an essential part of our daily routine. At EnerStar, we recognize its significance and our responsibility to distribute it to our members reliably. As a local cooperative, we are dedicated to ensuring transparency and educating our members, which is one of our seven cooperative principles. With that mindset, electric grid reliability is one focal discussion point at annual meetings and in our magazine.
In the news: rolling blackouts
There has recently been increased national news coverage about rolling blackouts in the United States. This concern is mainly due to the aging power grid’s inability to keep up with the increasing demand for electricity and extreme weather conditions. The early closure of baseload coal plants as part of the transition towards cleaner energy sources has also contributed to the problem. However, before we continue discussing this issue in more detail, it’s important to provide some background information.
What is a rolling blackout?
Rolling blackouts are temporary power outages used by power grid operators to balance the power supply in a region. They prevent overloading and more widespread outages. Unlike regular outages, they are shorter in duration and “roll” from location to location. Predicting blackouts is complex, and there may be little warning when they happen.
Balancing the grid and where EnerStar fits into this equation
EnerStar collaborates closely with our generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative, Wabash Valley Power, in resource and infrastructure planning. This collaboration ensures you have power when you flip on a switch. However, it is important to note that the electric grid is much larger than just EnerStar. The grid is widely considered one of the world’s most complex machines. This complexity arises because Americans consume varying amounts of electricity throughout the day, resulting in a constantly fluctuating supply and demand for electricity.
EnerStar is linked to a section of the grid managed by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). It is responsible for overseeing the electric grid in 15 midwestern states, which includes most of Illinois.
Wabash has sufficient generation capacity to meet the peak demands in our service area. However, the MISO region (and others) is at a higher risk of shortages in the future due to the decrease in available resources. Situations such as these can put the entire grid in jeopardy. In the worst-case scenario, MISO may have to order temporary, controlled outages to prevent widespread outages. These brief outages are known as rolling outages.
Recent reports alarming on the grid’s future
EnerStar is a National Rural Electric Cooperative member, a trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. NRECA represents 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape through this association. NRECA has summed up best what is happening.
NRECA’s CEO, Jim Matheson, recently expressed concern about the current state of the nation’s energy future in response to the National Electric Reliability Council’s (NREC) latest assessment of the electric grid’s stability. According to Matheson, the electricity demand is rising while the supply of always-available baseload generation is declining. He pointed out that nine states experienced rolling blackouts last December due to the shortage in electricity supply. Matheson added that proposals such as the EPA’s power plant rule to close additional baseload will only add to the problem. He believes that without a significant shift in state and federal energy policy, we will face this reality for years.
“Key measures of future electricity demand and energy needs are rising faster than at any time in recent years, adding to future resource adequacy concerns at a time of unprecedented transformation in the industry,” added Matheson. “It warns that an increasingly large portion of North America is at risk in the future.” In 2028, NERC anticipates a capacity shortfall, especially for winter electricity generation and fuel risks.
What can we do about it
EnerStar and Wabash, along with the NRECA, will diligently continue to pursue reliable and affordable power sources and work with our legislators to enact “sensible” rules for our power sources. We’re watching out for you. If you want to dive deeper into the NERC report, visit www.enerstar.com. We will post the link on our website along with this article.