US power grid: Struggling with the heatwave?

Can the power grid cope?

Infrastructure US has been critical of the US power grid in the past, but this week has seen the East Coast of the country hit by a crippling heatwave with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees in cities from New York to Washington. As such, the power grid has been put under enormous pressure with the rising heat and the increased power demand and thus far, it's holding up well...

The US power grid is normally renowned for power outages as undue pressure is put on the system but, so far, none have been reported despite rising demand and record usage.

According to Reuters, the city of New York's power demand is close to the record of 33,939 megawatts, set on Aug. 2, 2006 due to the increased usage of air conditioning units keeping the population cool in the asphalt jungle.

Consolidated Edison, Inc., which serves parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, said customers pushed electricity demand near 13,000 megawatts, but levels stayed below a company record of 13,141 megawatts. One megawatt is enough electricity to serve 800 to 1,000 homes.

Meanwhile the demand broke day records for New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, R.I., and Hartford, Conn. The heat wave is expected to continue for the next few days putting more pressure on the system as more people invest in air-con units.

"We're very weather sensitive," said Ken Klapp, spokesman for the New York Independent System Operator, which oversees the state's electricity grid. "With the high temperatures and humidities, it drives the loads up."

Coping with extra demand

Until the US has a complete smart system in place and is able to properly integrate renewables into it to compensate for power shortages, the cities on the east coast will still be vulnerable to power outages. However, in the past few systems, the east coast grid has seen billions of dollars spent on new technology and other improvements to the grid.

Pa.-based PJM Interconnection, Valley Forge has reportedly spent almost $15 billion since the beginning of the decade on new transmission lines, new wires on existing lines, new transformers and new components to ensure that as demand grows, the provider will be able to cope. PJM does, after all, operates the largest grid in the US, which runs from Washington to Chicago.

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Could virtual power plants help grid innovation? | Integrating renewables into a smart grid | Breakthroughs and concerns for smartgrid | How to fix the US Power Grid

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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