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Power costs peak at $1860/MW
By Guy Page
The operators of the New England power grid issued a Power Caution Tuesday evening after an unexpected power failure during this week’s heat wave.
ISO-New England declares a Power Caution when it is concerned it may lack enough reserve power to provide electricity due to an unforeseen power shortage.
Tuesday night, ISO projected demand to reach 23,900 MW Thursday evening, which would mark the highest level of the season. Then an unexpected power failure – ISO didn’t say where, what kind of generation, or how much – occurred, leaving the region vulnerable to power shortages. However, demand reached “only” 23,340 MW, and grid operators were able to meet demand, ISO said in a June 20 statement.
Although the grid was able to cover demand Tuesday evening, it didn’t come without a price to ratepayers: for several minutes, the cost of electricity peaked at $1,860/MW, compared to the $32/MW price this morning (and more in line with most non-peak times). By contrast, the ‘peak’ cost on Wednesday evening was about $40/MW.
ISO-New England sources and manages the flow of electricity throughout New England. As overall demand increases due to renewable power electrification required by Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act and the Renewable Energy Standard bill that became law this week, the grid will be challenged to provide more total electricity while simultaneously being required to be more choosy about the renewable/low carbon status of power generation sources.
The renewable power industry claims that sufficient build-out of renewable generation (wind, solar) and battery storage will, with other more traditional power sources,
Reserve power is paid for by ratepayers, whose utilities through ISO-New England pay for generating stations to be “on standby.” In general, ISO-New England dispatches the cheapest and/or most low-carbon and efficient power sources first. Fast-dispatch, high-carbon generators (for example, oil-burning generators) are most likely to be held in reserve.
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Categories: Energy, Uncategorized
“The Grid” is a pretty fascinating machine in its own right. The fact that we pretty much take electricity for granted, speaks to the incredible professionalism of the grid operators and participants. When you realize that they get it done, in spite of having to accommodate the stupidity of politicians who have ZERO understanding of how electricity works, it’s incredible that it works at all.
Loss of capacity could be due to a large generator tripping off, or a line going down that strands generation. ISO continually runs models to account for worst-case single failures, and maintains reserve generation to hedge. (And don’t even get me started on the fickle nature of “renewables”, which are the exact opposite of “reliable”!!)
As I said, pretty amazing!
Let’s just hope the general public doesn’t treat electrical service professionals like some do the police for the last couple of years…or that eco-nazis start treating the electrical grid infrastructure like famous art works or Stonehenge…
Electric vehicles (EV) just might face power shortages and are high and dry with an expensive boat anchor. It’s happened in other states, CA being one. New England is densely populated and high demand. Build a coal burning power plant, don’t complain. Windmills and solar fields aren’t the answer as many periodicals have elaborated. The Earth’s heating and cooling cycles are a fact of nature and a function of time.
“heat wave?” I thought a heat wave was 3 (three) consecutive days above ninety degrees Fahrenheit. I only saw two days above 90 here in Essex Junction, and even then it dropped to the 70’s at night. Although last year was cold and rainy, I do remember some years when I was young (70’s/80’s) when we would have weeks of 90+ degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, then, most people did not have Air Conditioners or EVs they plugged in when they got home at 4 or 5 pm. I’m not judging anyone…just saying. Perhaps the utility needs to do an ad campaign to advise people to open their windows at night to cool it down? I’ve noticed many people in my community do not open their windows at night. A simple solution to an age-old problem here in Vermont.
And have who climb through your open window?
Yep, we’re ready for this newly mandated electric world.
Let’s take power sources off the grid while adding power consumption beyond capacity of the grid.
Definitely a formula well thought through! How about a planned, orderly transition rather than a lemming run to the sea?
Lets pretend the sun flares/CMEs have nothing to do with our power grid… and that there wasn’t a huge CME that hit…jussssst about the time the increased pressure on the grid happened… as predicted by the Suspicious Observer (YT) the space weatherman whose accuracy has yet to be successfully challenged…though NASA and NOAA experts gaslight his work daily…. lets just pretend the sun has nothing to do with ENERGY fluctuations that utility companies charge us to pretend don’t exist so they can continue with their Hegelian dialectics…
…crickets, eh? Nice sound on an early summer’s eve…
More nuclear, hydro, oil, natural gas, coal, plants to produce electricity to export and make it too cheap to meter for VT users.