With recent weather extreme behavior, ISO New England (ISO-NE) is looking to the future to plan for any uncertain fuel supply risk that could lead to emergency actions if severe prolonged cold weather comes this winter season. Gordon van Welie, ISO New England’s president and CEO, stated to reporters on December 6th, “in recent years, oil and LNG have filled the gaps when extended periods of very cold weather have constrained natural gas pipeline supplies. Higher prices globally for these fuels, as well as pandemic-related supply chain challenges, could limit their availability in New England if needed to produce electricity this winter. The region would be in a precarious position if an extended cold snap were to develop and these fuels were not available.”
The independent system operator (ISO) noted it anticipates electricity demand to “peak at 19,710 megawatts (MW) during average winter weather conditions of 10°F and 20,349 MW if temperatures reach below average conditions of 5°F. These projections are both about 2 percent lower than last year’s forecasts.”
As ISO-NE warns, there are several factors to consider which may push ISO-NE to reframe how the grid is operated; a few include weather severity, the global price of oil and LNG, and natural gas pipeline constraints. The ISO elaborates by stating, “if these risks materialize and threaten power system reliability, the ISO will turn to several operating procedures to manage the grid, up to and including controlled power outages. While employing controlled power outages is a last resort, the ISO wants to educate the public that if this step were required, it would be used to protect the region’s power grid from an overall collapse. “
To prepare for the upcoming winter weather, ISO New England will continue to monitor weather forecasts and fuel supplies and survey generators regularly to measure stored fuels. Adapt2 has helped provided forecasting and reporting analytics to prepare for unforeseen weather events.
Visit this report for more information on what ISO-NE is doing to keep the community prepared. Adapt2 is proud to be your source for the latest market news.