(KTAL/KMSS) – Widespread and extreme cold has led to new energy usage records and the declaration of several advisories and alerts in the Southwest Power Pool territory, which includes the ArkLaTex.
The Southwest Power Pool is the regional organization that manages the electric grid across 14 central and western U.S. states.
The SPP says it set a new record for electricity use during the winter season on Dec. 22, with load exceeding 47,000 MW. The previous record was 43,661 MW, set Feb. 15, 2021.
The higher-than-forecast electricity use and persistent cold led the regional transmission organization to declare an Energy Emergency Alert 1 (EEA1) just before 8:30 a.m. Friday until conditions improved. That alert ended at 10:00 a.m., but the SPP issued a new Conservative Operations Advisory at 11 a.m. that will continue through Christmas Day.
“This advisory is due to continued high loads, severe cold weather, and wind forecast uncertainty,” read a statement released by the Southwest Power Pool Friday morning.
The advisory does not require the public to conserve energy but asks members of the power pool to “follow applicable procedures.”
As SWEPCO continued to work on restoring power to the nearly 7,400 customers who remain without power in its Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas territory since a powerful Arctic front moved through the region Thursday, the utility asked them to conserve where they can.
“That helps us be more efficient in restoring service to others as we continue to battle below-freezing temperatures,” SWEPCO said in a Facebook post.
Conservation can include turning off or unplugging appliances and lights that are not in use, lowering the thermostat a few degrees, and making sure windows are sealed shut and shades are closed to keep the heat in.
SWEPCO expects power to be restored to its customers in Vivian/Plain Dealing by 5 p.m., Friday, Mansfield/Logansport by 6 p.m., Shreveport-Bossier and Natchitoches by 10 p.m., and Haughton by midnight.
A Conservative Operations Advisory is one level below an Energy Emergency Alert 1 (EEA1). According to the SPP, an EEA1 also does not require conservation of energy and does not indicate that SPP will be directing controlled service outages. Instead, an EEA1 is an indication that while SPP has enough generation available to meet demand and fulfill its reserve obligations, conditions exist that could put reserves at risk if they worsen.
The SPP says an EEA1 is the first of three levels of energy emergency alert. An EEA2 would be triggered if SPP could no longer meet expected energy reserve requirements or if SPP foresaw or had taken actions up to but excluding the interruption of firm load obligations.
Southwest Power Pool grid conditions (Source: Southwest Power Pool)
“End-use customers in the SPP region should follow their local utilities’ instructions regarding the potential for outages, the need to conserve electricity or natural gas, and other steps to ensure their safety and the integrity of the regional grid.”
The SPP says it is coordinating closely with members and market participants and will continue to monitor the situation as extreme cold persists throughout the region.
