US energy companies are facing supply crises that could hamper their ability to keep the lights on as the country moves into the heat of summer and the height of the hurricane season.
Extreme weather events such as storms, wildfires and droughts are becoming more common in the US.
Energy consumption is expected to hit historic highs this summer, which could strain power grids at a time when federal agencies are warning that the weather could cause reliability issues.
Utilities have been warning of equipment supply constraints, which could hamper efforts to restore power during outages.
Companies are also having a harder time renewing natural gas inventories for the coming winter, as power generators have been burning record volumes of gas after the closure of dozens of coal plants in recent years and extreme droughts cut off power supplies. hydropower in many western states.
“Cold and heat waves, droughts and increasingly frequent major storms continue to challenge the ability of our country’s electrical infrastructure to provide reliable and affordable energy to consumers,” said Richard Glick, chairman of the US Federal Electricity Regulatory Commission. USA (FERC) said this month.
Federal agencies responsible for power reliability, such as FERC, have warned that grids in the western half of the country could face problems this summer as consumers increase their use of air conditioning to escape the heat.
Some dealerships have already had problems due to the heat. ERCOT, the Texas power grid operator, was forced to urge customers to save energy after several plants unexpectedly closed during an untimely heat wave in mid-May.
In mid-June, Ohio-based American Electric Power Co imposed power outages during a heat wave after a storm damaged transmission lines and knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses.
The US Midwest faces the most severe risk as demand is increasing while supplies of nuclear and coal power have dwindled.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which operates the network from Minnesota to Louisiana, has warned that parts of its coverage area are most at risk of temporary outages to preserve the integrity of the network.
Supply chain problems have already delayed the construction of renewable energy projects across the country.
Renewable plant delays, along with power outages in the Midwest, have prompted WEC Energy Group Inc of Wisconsin and NiSource Inc of Indiana to postpone planned coal plant shutdowns in recent months.
Preparation for lack of supply
Dealers are stocking up on parts and equipment in preparation for severe storms. In recent months, this means that operators have been looking for creative solutions.
“We’re doing a lot more splicing, splicing cables together, rather than installing new cables, because we’re trying to keep our new cable in stock when we need it,” Nick Akins, AEP’s chief executive, said at the CERAWeek energy conference in March.
Transformers, which usually sit on electric poles and convert high voltage power into power used in homes, are in short supply.
Source: CNN Brasil
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