DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A New Surge in Power Use Is Threatening U.S. Climate Goals
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Brad Plumer | Nadja Popovich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Nathan Howard for The New York TimesIn California, electric vehicles could soon account for 10 percent of peak power demand. AP Photo/Mike StewartIn interviews, utility executives say gas is needed to back up wind and solar power, which don’t run all the time. Gas plants can sometimes be easier to build than renewables, since they may not require new long-distance transmission lines. “It’s going to take a diversified fleet.”Mr. Mitchell noted that Georgia Power was planning a large build-out of solar power and batteries over the next decade and would offer incentives to companies to use less power during times of grid stress. The tech companies and manufacturers that are driving up electricity demand could also play a major role, experts say.

Persons: ”, Daniel Brooks, Nathan Howard, Lauren Justice, Biden’s, “, Tyler H, Norris, Mr, John Wilson, Ken Seiler, Seiler, Devin Hartman, Duke, Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s, it’s, we’ve, Georgia Power, It’s, Greg Buppert, Megan Varner, Mike Stewart, Aaron Mitchell, “ It’s, Mitchell, Heather O’Neill, Brian Janous Organizations: Electric Power Research Institute, The New York Times, Duke University, Biden, Utilities, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Boston Consulting, Dominion Energy, Nationwide, R Street Institute, The New York Times Soaring, Duke Energy, Georgia, Southern Environmental Law Center, AP, Dominion, Georgia Power, Advanced Energy, Microsoft Locations: America, California, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina , Tennessee, Kansas, Northern Virginia, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, York City, PJM, “ Texas, Ashburn, Va, Dalton , Ga, Dalton, Duke

☆ Summer Has Long Stressed Electric Grids. Now Winter Does, Too.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Ivan Penn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, managers of electric grids feared that surging energy demand on hot summer days would force blackouts. Largely because of growing demand from homes and businesses, and supply constraints due to aging utility equipment, many grids are under greater strain in winter. Just 10 years ago, winter electricity use ran about 11 percent less than in summer, according to the group. And by 2050, winter demand could surpass electricity use in the summer. “We’re seeing both summer and winter peaks growing, but we’re seeing winter peaks growing faster,” said Jim Robb, chief executive of the reliability corporation.

Persons: ”, Jim Robb Organizations: North American Electric Reliability Corporation

☆ New York’s Near Zombie Apocalypse
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week’s best and worst from Kim Strassel, Allysia Finley and Dan Henninger. Images: AP/Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellyImagine if nearly half of New York City lost heat for months during the winter. That’s not the plot of a new survival drama. Such a catastrophe nearly occurred last Christmas, according to an alarming recent report by energy regulators that deserves more attention. It was the fifth time in 11 years that power plant failures caused by cold weather jeopardized grid reliability.

Persons: Kim Strassel, Allysia Finley, Dan Henninger, Mark Kelly, Elliott Organizations: Zuma, New York, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, North American Electric Reliability Corporation Locations: New, New York City

☆ North American grid regulator tests physical, cyber security preparedness
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - The North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) said on Thursday it has concluded a two-day simulation with power sector entities to stress-test their emergency response and recovery plans for physical and cyber security attacks. We must continue to be vigilant," said NERC senior vice president Manny Cancel, who leads its Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC). The E-ISAC's GridEx, the biggest grid security exercise in North America, took place on Nov. 14-15 with more than 250 participants, including electric and natural gas companies government agencies. NERC warned of evolving cyber threats to the electric grid, "guided by geopolitical events, new vulnerabilities, changes in technologies, and increasingly bold cyber criminals and hackers." In an August report, NERC pushed to develop standards for the power sector on mitigating risk from cloud adoption and artificial intelligence technologies, along with cyber security training for the workforce.

Persons: NERC, Manny Cancel, GridEx, David Gregorio Our Organizations: North American Electric Reliability Corp, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S . Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, South Carolina, North America, Bengaluru

☆ Two-thirds of North America could face power shortages this winter -NERC
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In its 2023-24 winter outlook, the regulatory authority warned that prolonged, wide-area cold snaps threaten the reliability of bulk power generation and availability of fuel supplies for natural gas-fired generation. "Recent extreme cold weather events have shown that energy delivery disruptions can have devastating consequences for electric and gas consumers in impacted areas," NERC said. It put the U.S. Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and South, along with some Canadian provinces, at the highest risk for electricity supply shortages this winter. NERC also found that load forecasting in winter is growing in complexity, and underestimating demand is a risk to reliability in extreme cold temperatures. Flows of gas into pipelines were reduced during Elliott, while demand for the fuel for heating and power generation increased, dramatically lowering line pressures.

Persons: Greenlee Beal, NERC, John Moura, Storm Elliott, Elliott, Anjana Anil, Scott DiSavino, Leslie Adler, Marguerita Choy Organizations: PIKE Energy, REUTERS, North American Electric Reliability Corp, U.S ., PJM, Reliability Corp, Texas, Federal Energy Regulatory, Storm, Consolidated Edison, Thomson Locations: Texas, San Antonio , Texas, U.S, Canada, U.S . Midwest, Northeast, South, New England, MISO , New York, New York City, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Extremist attacks on US power grids are increasing and election seasons are usually a popular time for them, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Power grid attacks doubled from the first quarter of 2022 to the same period in 2023, Politico reported. One expert also told Politico that spikes have coincided with the 2020 and 2022 election seasons. Politico found that the number of power grid attacks in the first three months of 2023 had doubled compared to the same time period in 2022. Power grid attacks spiked during both the 2020 and 2022 election seasons, Manny Cancel, senior vice president at the North American Electric Reliability Corp, told Politico. The FBI has warned power executives to remain diligent and aware of threats to the grid, Politico reported.

Persons: Manny Cancel Organizations: Politico, Service, North American Electric Reliability Corp, FBI Locations: Wall, Silicon, United States, Virginia , North Carolina, South Carolina

☆ Your Coming Summer of Blackouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wonder Land: Whether it's the border, the economy or crime, the progressive way of governance is that no policy mistake can change—ever. Images: AP/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyHow many warnings does it take before the Biden Administration wakes up to the risks from its climate policies to the U.S. electric grid? The latest came this month from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and please pray the wind keeps blowing.

☆ California grid operator signs off on $7.3 billion of power lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 19 (Reuters) - California's electric grid operator has approved a plan expected to cost $7.3 billion for 45 new power transmission projects over the next decade and made it easier for new power plants in high-priority areas to connect to the grid. The projects will support the development of more than 40 gigawatts (GW) of new generation resources, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) said on Thursday. The vast majority of the transmission projects will be built in California, with some in neighboring Arizona, it said. CAISO will prioritize connecting power plants to the grid in specific geographical zones identified by its plan where developing new power lines and plants "make the most economic and operational sense." The grid operator also approved proposed reforms to account for "increasing levels of net load forecast uncertainty between day-ahead and real-time markets ... as the generation fleet evolves towards a cleaner, but more variable, resource mix."

☆ U.S. Midwest grid operator flags urgent need for market reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The reforms are needed "to maintain reliability and send the right pricing signals to the market," said Clair Moeller, president and CEO at Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). For the zone which covers most of Louisiana and southeast Texas, the clearing prices for fall and winter were $59/MW-day and $19/MW-day, respectively. Market participants who postpone the retirement of resources and import additional capacity this year may not be able to repeat those measures in the future, said Moeller. "We continue to see uncertainty and volatility in the auction results year-over-year, and managing the system in real-time is becoming more challenging," Moeller added. Reporting by Deep Vakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why Blackouts, Power Outages Are Becoming More Common
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Taylor Dorrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Power outages have increased 64% from the early 2000s, and weather-related outages — many driven by the worsening climate crisis — have increased 78%. A record-breaking blizzard in Buffalo, New York, this winter caused power outages throughout the city, resulting in the deaths of 47 residents. In 2021, a heat wave led to power outages and the deaths of hundreds in the Pacific Northwest. While regional organizations might use fees to penalize companies for power outages, it's now much harder to pinpoint and hold a person or entity responsible. In the meantime, the climate crisis will continue to wreak havoc on an aging grid system that puts profits over reliability.

☆ Power-Grid Attacks Surge and Are Likely to Continue, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Katherine Blunt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Duke Energy workers inspected a substation in North Carolina after attackers targeted it and others with gunfire in December. Physical attacks on the U.S. power grid rose 71% last year compared with 2021 and will likely increase this year, according to a confidential industry analysis viewed by The Wall Street Journal. A division of the grid oversight body known as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation found that ballistic damage, intrusion and vandalism largely drove the increase. The analysis also determined that physical security incidents involving power outages have increased 20% since 2020, attributed to people frustrated by the onset of the pandemic, social tensions and economic challenges.

☆ U.S. regulators to probe power outages during historic winter storm
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 28 (Reuters) - An inquiry will be opened into the power outages caused by extreme weather during historic winter storm Elliott, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other North American regulatory authorities said on Wednesday. FERC will probe operations of the bulk power system to identify performance issues and recommend solutions alongside the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and its six regional entities which encompass nearly 400 million customers, mainly in the U.S. and Canada. "This storm underscores the increasing frequency of significant extreme weather events and underscores the need for the electric sector to change its planning scenarios and preparations for extreme events,” said NERC CEO and President Jim Robb. And this was in the early weeks of a projected 'mild' winter," Robb said. Reporting by Deep Vakil in Bengaluru; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here's why the U.S. electric grid isn't running on 100% renewable energy yet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

Intermittency and transmissionOne of the biggest barriers to a 100% renewable grid is the intermittency of many renewable power sources. Wind resources in the United States, according to the the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. Solar resources in the United States, according to the the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy.

☆ Texas Has an Obvious, Affordable Fix for Its Electricity Problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The first phase of Texas’ power market reform, which involved winterizing power plants and gas-related infrastructure, hasn’t been enough to mitigate all winter emergencies. Almost two years after a brutal winter storm cut electricity supply to millions of Texans and took hundreds of lives, the state is contemplating fundamental fixes to its electricity market design. So far, though, it appears to be ignoring a simpler and cheaper one: reducing demand. Texas has implemented the first phase of its power market reform, which involved winterizing power plants and gas-related infrastructure. That hasn’t been enough to mitigate all dangers: In a November report, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation called out Texas as one of the energy markets most at risk for energy emergencies this winter.

☆ EVs and crypto mining seen as emerging risks for U.S. power reliability
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The adoption of electric vehicles and rise of cryptocurrency mining pose emerging challenges to U.S. power reliability in upcoming years, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said on Thursday. The potential growth of cryptocurrency miners, which use supercomputers to power their operations, can also "have a significant effect on demand and resource projections," NERC said. Earlier this month, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced a voluntary curtailment program for customers, including bitcoin mining facilities, to reduce power during peak demand periods. Non-EV energy transition measures, which rely heavily on the electrification of businesses and residences, will also add grid pressures, NERC said. That increase comes as the shutdown of coal, nuclear and natural-gas power plants outpaces the replacement of new power generation capacity.

☆ California and the Midwest face 'high risk' of electricity shortages in next five years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Projected energy shortfalls have been projected in that region since 2018, Olson said. The Southwest could also suffer when demand is high and wind energy generation is low in the region. For its annual long-term electricity security assessment, NERC looks at the coming decade, but energy and capacity risk assessment goes out for the coming five years, from 2023 to 2027. There are too many moving parts and uncertainties for a risk assessment past the next five years to be worthwhile, according to NERC. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission certified NERC to measure and enforce safety standards for the energy grid in the United States in 2006.

The recent attack on two North Carolina substations that cut power to thousands of people has raised concerns about security standards for the country’s electric grid and its numerous power stations, which have faced greater threats in recent years. Nearly 600 electric emergency incidents and disturbances were caused by suspected and confirmed physical attacks and vandalism on the electric grid in those nine years, the reports show. The incidents, which are self-reported by power companies to the federal government, provide little to no detail about what occurred. Paths forward for a new standardThose who want a new security standard said there remain significant bureaucratic headwinds against such a proposal. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a nonprofit originally created by the electricity industry, said it created security requirements based on risk, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

☆ United States at risk of tight electric supplies this winter -NERC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Those reliability concerns stem from higher peak demand projections, generator retirements, generator vulnerability to extreme weather and fuel supply and natural gas infrastructure limitations, the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) said on a webcast of its 2022-2023 Winter Reliability Assessment. NERC said that the lack of interconnections with other regions limited Texas' ability to import power from other regions if problems arise. "Energy emergencies are likely in extreme conditions," NERC said about MISO, noting wind generator performance would be a key factory this winter. In New England, NERC warned that the amount of oil stored at power generators was just about 40% of capacity. "We encourage generators to fill up those tanks," Mark Olson, manager for reliability assessments at NERC, said on the webcast.

Search resuls for: "North American Electric Reliability Corp"

18 mentions found