Extreme Heat this Summer Will Increase Outage Risk for Utilities

Electric utility customers need to prepare themselves for a rough summer in terms of electric reliability, thanks to the extreme heat that is expected to pound the nation in 2021 and beyond.  California customers in particular are likely in for a rough ride going forward.

This is according to the 2021 Summer Reliability Assessment issued by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC).  Ouch.

Expectations in California for Extreme Heat in Summer 2021

NERC leaves little doubt that California is the state that is most at risk of experiencing perpetual outages this year due to the local climate (heat and drought) and tinderbox nature of the state’s forests.  In summer 2020, the state’s utilities imposed rolling blackouts that left over 400,000 homes in the dark for hours during a couple of brutally hot days in August.  And experts believe this number will only go up in the years to come.

The good news is that the California utilities have responded by boosting total supplies from 2020 levels to a total of 63.4 gigawatts (GW), and additional solar capacity will be developed during the summer.

Companies like PG&E have also put plans in place to import power from nearby areas during times of extreme need, although according to the NERC assessment, relying on imports also increases risk.  Another tactic being employed is using batteries to meet some of the demand, but the amount of power that can be provided from battery sources is very limited.

The bottom line is that emergency planning and restoration is likely going to become more difficult this year, and in future years, due to extreme heat in California and elsewhere.  Unfortunately, the hard truth is that there is nothing we can do about Mother Nature, but at least we can do things like continuously review emergency plans, increase the frequency of exercises and drills, and take steps to harden our systems.

There’s no doubt, periods of extreme heat are going to be the new norm…we just need to find ways to get better and improve our ability to deal with it.