Our friends at RTO Insider bring us the news that PJM is having issues managing peak demand caused by today's frigid temperatures. (If you're a business and you hit RTO Insider's paywall, maybe it's time to get a subscription?)
Today's peak is supposed to be 142,000 MW this evening, when folks come home from work and start turning things on. PJM hopes they will have sufficient resources, however, I've been bombarded with emails this morning with stories featuring PJM's plea for folks to conserve.
RTO Insider tells us:
Today's peak is supposed to be 142,000 MW this evening, when folks come home from work and start turning things on. PJM hopes they will have sufficient resources, however, I've been bombarded with emails this morning with stories featuring PJM's plea for folks to conserve.
RTO Insider tells us:
Officials said they could be forced to issue a second voltage reduction or brief rolling blackouts if conservation efforts and imports fail to make up any shortfalls this evening. “We do not expect to take that [load shed] action,” Executive Vice President for Operations Mike Kormos said during a media call today.
PJM and state regulators urged consumers to reduce energy use during the emergency. “Every little bit helps,” Kormos said. “There’s 60 million people in our footprint. If everyone does their part, that could easily add up to one nuclear plant, which is 1,000 MWs.”
“We’re very close [to generation limits],” Kormos added. “The last couple hundred megawatts could allow us to not have to take any forced interruptions.”
If you only take a temporary action (such as dialing your electric heat back 2 degrees) to avoid your lights going out today, that's reactive. If, instead, you take a small action today that you continue tomorrow and the next day, and the day after, then you're practicing energy efficiency. As Kormos points out, if everyone does their part, that could add up to avoiding the cost of building one new 1,000 MW power plant. It could also avoid the need to tear up valuable farmland with miles and miles of wind farms and transmission lines.
Maybe West Virginia's regulators should also encourage energy efficiency, instead of encouraging us to use more power to support the continued use of antique coal-fired generators that provide profits to out-of-state energy corporations.
So, if "everyone" changes just one incandescent bulb to a comparable LED today, can we all stay warm and happy? Or will the stockpilers have us all sitting in the dark tonight because they don't like change?
Maybe West Virginia's regulators should also encourage energy efficiency, instead of encouraging us to use more power to support the continued use of antique coal-fired generators that provide profits to out-of-state energy corporations.
So, if "everyone" changes just one incandescent bulb to a comparable LED today, can we all stay warm and happy? Or will the stockpilers have us all sitting in the dark tonight because they don't like change?
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