FERC, NERC reveal disturbing details from Winter Storm Elliot inquiry

by Sonal Patel, Power Magazine | Source: Power | Posted 09/21/2023

Unplanned generation outages during Winter Storm Elliot spiked to 90.5 GW, significantly more than the 61.8 GW during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.

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Winter Storm Elliot caused significantly more incremental unplanned generation outages compared to Winter Storm Uri in 2021, according to a joint inquiry by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The outages reached 90.5 GW during Winter Storm Elliot, representing 13% of the anticipated resources in the Eastern Interconnection, while Winter Storm Uri saw 61.8 GW of outages. The inquiry highlights the need for revisions to cold weather reliability standards for power and gas systems.

The inquiry also found that the worst conditions of Winter Storm Elliot occurred during peak winter loads when unplanned generation outages reached historic levels. Freezing and fuel issues caused 55% of the generating unit outages, while mechanical or electrical issues were correlated with subfreezing temperatures. Additionally, there was a gas supply crisis due to drops in natural gas production and issues with production infrastructure freezing and equipment freezing. The report recommends 11 immediate actions, including enhanced monitoring of cold weather reliability standards and the establishment of reliability rules for natural gas infrastructure.

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Source Link: https://www.powermag.com/ferc-nerc-reveal-disturbing-details-from-winter-storm-elliot-inquiry/

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FERC, NERC reveal disturbing details from Winter Storm Elliot inquiry

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