Regional Electric Grid Operator Warns of Rolling Blackouts for 14 Central US States
SPP said it has used operating reserves and may order controlled outages if demand stays high during the heat wave, officials said.
- On Monday, the Southwest Power Pool warned that record electricity demand could force rolling blackouts across 14 central states. The grid operator, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, cautioned the power system faced a critical electricity shortfall.
- A heat wave stretching from North Dakota to Louisiana prompted the alert as several power plants unexpectedly tripped offline. These outages left reserve margins razor thin, straining the grid's capacity to meet surging demand.
- SPP issued a level three alert about 6 p.m. EDT, signaling the grid operator had drawn on operating reserves to meet demand. Threat levels decreased hours later, and the operator avoided ordering blackouts despite the high risk.
- Grid operators rarely order controlled blackouts to prevent cascading outages, and SPP confirmed it had not resorted to this step. The organization expects to remain under its resource advisory until 8:00 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday.
- Earlier this year, the Regional Transmission Organization expanded into the Western Interconnection, integrating utilities across seven states including Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission mandates SPP's management of electrical infrastructure across its growing territory.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Energy Department Issues Emergency Order to Mitigate Blackout Risks Amid Hot Weather Conditions
The Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order allowing Southwest Power Pool Inc. to use certain energy resources and mitigate the risks of potential blackouts, the department said in a July 21 statement. According to the order, issued on July 20 and signed by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Southwest Power Pool (SPP) requested the DOE to allow certain resources to exceed their operating limits for a temporary period to ensure grid r…
Energy Dept orders backup power to avert Louisiana blackouts
(The Center Square) - The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday authorized the Southwest Power Pool to activate emergency generation to avert grid-wide rolling blackouts across 14 states—including parts of North Louisiana—as severe heat drove historic demand for electricity.
The Center Square
The HayrideEnergy Department orders backup power to avert Louisiana blackouts
(The Center Square) - The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday authorized the Southwest Power Pool to activate emergency generation to avert grid-wide rolling blackouts across 14 states—including parts of
Regional electric grid operator warns of rolling blackouts for 14 states across Central US
According to a report from LiveNOW from FOX, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a major regional grid operator, has warned residents and utilities in 14 central U.S. states of the risk of rolling blackouts amid a severe heat wave driving record electricity demand. SPP, which oversees power transmission and reliability across a vast multistate territory, […]
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
