Utility Performance During Polar Vortex Under Scrutiny
Utility companies, especially electric utilities, are under scrutiny for their performance during the January 2018 polar vortex. The “official” assessment of their performance has been documented by a report released jointly in July 2019 by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Assessment of Polar Vortex Performance
The report finds that utilities struggled with the polar vortex. On Jan. 17, two regional operators (MISO & SPP) encouraged customers to voluntarily reduce their electricity use in an effort to deal with heightened demand. This is somewhat of a recurring theme, as both FERC and NERC had previously warned against unplanned outages during extreme cold.
The report offered several suggestions for utilities to perform better the next time a polar vortex rears its ugly head:
- Develop reliability standards that require utilities to prepare for upcoming polar vortex events and submit the details of these preparations to balancing authorities and reliability coordinators, so they are aware of specific limitations to monitor.
- Improve power plant winterization tactics.
- Develop specific scenarios and mitigation tactics to improve emergency preparedness for the next polar vortex.
- Identify gas supply issues and develop mitigation plans as needed.
- Document lessons learned so these learnings can be applied during the next extreme cold weather event.
The full report can be accessed here. It’s probably akin to a “must-read” if you’re in the emergency preparedness field because, while all the buzz is around climate change, polar vortexes are increasing in frequency. And a polar vortex event can be every bit as dangerous as extreme heat when the power goes out.
Therefore, it is critical to read the report, absorb the material, and incorporate any report recommendation appropriate for your company into your emergency plans and protocols. And as an added bonus, proper polar vortex preparation should ensure that you don’t wind up in any future FERC or NERC report!
