Faced with intense heat waves threatening the stability of the power grid, the U.S. Department of Energy has taken decisive action by ordering emergency measures. This directive activates backup power sources extending from North Dakota all the way to Louisiana.
In a move made on Sunday, the Department issued an emergency order to help manage the electricity load across 17 states. As the scorching heat threatens to overwhelm the system, this measure aims to ensure the grid can withstand the rising demand.
The emergency order empowers Southwest Power Pool, Inc., the regional transmission organization responsible for the Central U.S., to deploy backup generation resources. This strategic intervention is designed to alleviate the pressure on power supplies.
Implementing this action is seen as a proactive step, intended to avert the necessity of Level 3 Energy Emergency Alerts. Such alerts call for significant steps to lower electricity demand and could lead to rolling blackouts as a means to avert a more severe grid collapse.
The directive, in effect until August 3, seeks to “mitigate the risk of blackouts,” a crucial precaution as the nation braces for sweltering heat. This order highlights the urgent need to safeguard energy supply during these extreme weather conditions.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a press release the order aims to “maintain affordable, reliable, and secure power for hardworking American families and businesses.”
Roughly 20 million people live in the affected area, which spans from North Dakota to Louisiana, Reuters reported.
The order was issued as at least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings across central and southern parts of the U.S. this weekend as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day.
Heat indexes well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending west into southern California and Nevada. Parts of the Southwest were expected to see highs of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service.
Meteorologists said the sweltering weather was the result of another heat dome — a phenomenon in which atmospheric conditions trap heat, accentuating and prolonging already high temperatures.
Former DOE official Kerry Duggan said extreme heat is increasingly becoming an energy challenge rather than a simple weather event.
“As we experience more frequent and longer-lasting heat waves, our ability to keep homes, businesses and critical facilities cool depends on having a reliable and resilient electric grid,” Duggan said.
She said communities will likely need a combination of energy sources to meet growing electricity demand while improving resilience, including solar energy paired with battery storage.
“The hotter it gets, the more solar power you get to keep your air conditioning running,” Duggan said. “The solution is in the problem.”
The DOE press release said it estimates more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation remain available nationwide.
Blackouts are estimated to cost the U.S. economy $44 billion annually, data from DOE’s National Laboratories showed.
The Associated Press and KTVB’s Audrielle Tackett contributed to this report.