The New England power grid should have sufficient electricity supplies to meet typical summer demand, but “in worst-case circumstances,” the region’s grid operator said, it could be forced to call for controlled power outages to maintain system reliability.
ISO New England published its summer reliability outlook on Monday, predicting it will have about 30,000 MW of available capacity to meet anticipated electricity demand of 24,553 MW. But a heat wave, if coupled with high humidity, could drive demand to 26,383 MW, “tightening supply margins.”
“With the possibility of more extreme and less predictable weather conditions, there is an increased potential for system operators to activate emergency procedures,” the ISO said.
The grid operator can call for online generators to increase production, dispatch stand-by units and call for voluntary conservation before needing turning to blackouts.
Behind-the-meter solar is expected to reduce grid demand by about 999 MW during the peak hour of demand each day, while energy efficiency will also help reduce grid stress, the ISO said.
New England’s energy use and supply is changing. Annual energy use has been falling for years and is now below that of the early 2000s. Peak demand, however, has not declined. The grid operator expects heating electrification to shift system peaks from summer to winter, sometime after 2030.
New England’s annual electricity consumption has been declining for years, while peak demand remains relatively constant.
Permission granted by ISO New England
The region’s all-time electricity demand record of 28,130 MW was set during a 2006 heat wave. Last year’s summer peak was 22,975 MW, but for the first time since 1983, the annual peak was not in the the summer months; it occurred in September, when demand reached 23,521 MW.
