What could put New England’s electricity grid at risk this winter?
(ISO-New England)
Depending on several factors, New England’s regional electricity grid operator could ask residents to turn down the heat, do less laundry and minimize cooking this winter.
While forecasts predict a mild winter, the grid could be in a precarious position, ISO-New England says. ISO coordinates the flow of electricity through the transmission system, and plans for how to meet the region’s electricity needs for the future.
Here are four things you need to know about how ISO-New England says they’re preparing for the winter.
- Three things could strain the grid: natural gas pipeline constraints, a lower-than-normal supply of oil and liquid natural gas and the possibility of prolonged cold snaps.
- Emergency actions may be necessary if extreme weather does occur and fuel supplies aren’t replenished.
- Energy efficiency efforts across the state have cut down regional electricity use over the past few years.
- ISO-New England pointed out that more needs to happen to create a reliable in-region supply of energy, rather than relying on a “vulnerable energy supply chain.”
For the full story, visit NHPR.org.
Read more about how New Hampshire’s power system fits in with this larger regional one here.