The Polar Vortex and the Power Grid: What really happened and why the grid will remain reliable without soon-to-retire coal plants

Apr 29, 2014 by John Moore and Allison Clements In the grip of the “Polar Vortex,” much of the nation experienced an extremely cold winter. The good news is that despite record electricity demand and some of the coldest weather in 20 years, power companies and grid operators kept the lights and heat on. Yet some observers are now claiming…

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Grid Planning for Extreme Weather Events

Many of the nation’s major high power electric transmission owners have formed entities called regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) to manage the grid within their defined boundaries. Among other things, the RTOs and ISOs are responsible for maintaining the grid’s reliability as consumer demand rises and falls.  The RTOs and ISOs do system-wide planning for the…

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