ROLLING SHUTOFFS IN PLAY
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans narrowly avoided rolling energy blackouts Monday, as public utilities struggled to keep up with an unprecedented demand for natural gas and electricity sparked by a record-setting winter storm.
The Southwest Power Pool issued a media statement Monday afternoon, calling on member utilities to implement “controlled interruptions of service” throughout its 17-state region. The SPP, officials said, had reached a critical Level 3 emergency.
However, by 2 p.m. Monday the Little Rock, Arkansas-based organization issued a second statement saying the grid operator “now has enough generation available to meet demand throughout its service territory and to fully meet its minimum reserve requirements.”
Since then state officials, including Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, have urged Oklahomans to conserve power by turning their thermostats down to 68 degrees and avoiding using large electric appliances such as washers and dryers.
“Small steps can make a difference,” Stitt said Monday afternoon during a press conference.
With most of the state covered in snow, temperatures in Oklahoma have hovered at or below zero for several days. Wind chill temperatures have been even lower, reported between -10 and -30 degrees.
Those temperatures have put a huge strain on the regional electric grid. Power Pool officials said the SPP system reached a peak usage of 43,661 megawatts on February 15. And because the system is required to carry additional operating reserves in excess of its load, the grid fell about 641 megawatts short of its demand.
“In response, the SPP directed its member utilities to implement planned interruptions of service to curtail electricity use by that amount,” the organization said.
The National Weather Service predicted a second major storm for the state, sometime Tuesday afternoon. That storm was expected to bring more snow and below-freezing temperatures.
In addition to asking state residents to reduce their usage, state power companies also asked large business and commercial customers to curtail their power usage.
“We can play our part by recognizing that human health and safety is the most important thing we can do,” said Kenneth Wagner, the state’s Secretary of Energy and Environment.
Still, even with the efforts to reduce power usage, Oklahomans aren’t clear – just yet – of the potential for industry-imposed blackouts. Wagner said it was possible the power pool could implement load shedding at any time to protect the grid.
Officials at the SPP said Monday their usage forecasts made it likely the power grid would fluctuate between Level 2 and Level 3 over the next 48 hours. Should the grid reach Level 3 again, the SPP “may have to direct further interruptions of service if available generation is inadequate to meet high demand.”
Wagner said reduced commercial and business usage along with power generated by wind turbines have helped prevent rolling blackouts, but he added that Oklahomans should continue to reduce their power usage for the next few days.
“Conservation helps,” he said. “The only energy that has to be generated is the energy that we are using.”