FERC cautions need to winterize power and gas systems in wake of Elliott

by James Osborne, Houston Chronicle | Source: Houston Chronicle | Posted 09/21/2023

FERC warned Congress and state legislatures of the needed to require gas pipelines and power plants to better protect themselves against cold weather.

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According to a report by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), natural gas pipelines and power plants in the US need better protection against cold weather to prevent power outages. The report focused on the causes of the Winter Storm Elliott, which led to power outages along the East Coast last year. It highlighted that over 1,700 power generation units had to shut down or reduce power due to cold weather, and more than 800 of these were natural gas plants. FERC Chairman Willie Phillips expressed concern over the repeated significant generator losses due to cold weather and stressed the need for someone responsible for the reliability of the natural gas system.

The report attributed the loss of generation to a 16% decline in natural gas production, primarily caused by frozen equipment in gas fields in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. This resulted in pipelines losing pressure and cutting off power plants. The report's recommendations align with previous suggestions made by FERC in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri, which caused widespread power outages in Texas in 2021. However, Congress has been slow to expand regulation over the natural gas sector.

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Source Link: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/ferc-cold-elliott-gas-pipelines-18380359.php

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FERC cautions need to winterize power and gas systems in wake of Elliott

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