PJM Preliminary Performance Review Found 16,119 MW Of Forced Power Plant Outages During Winter Storm Gerri Affecting The Western Region Of PJM

On January 25, the PJM Interconnection issued a preliminary review of system operations during  Winter Storm Gerri Jan. 13–18 revealed strong generator and transmission performance, accurate load forecasting, and successful coordination with other regions.

Dave Souder, Executive Director Systems Operations, noted that the extreme low temperatures during Winter Storm Gerri did not impact the entire PJM footprint, as they did during Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, but primarily the western region of the regional grid.

The PJM Western Region in or near Pennsylvania includes--

-- Duquesne Light Company

-- FirstEnergy South – former Allegheny Power Systems (West Penn Power, Mon Power, Potomac Edison)

-- FirstEnergy West – former American Transmission Systems, Inc. (Penn Power, Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison)

Souder said fewer well freeze-offs and limited pipeline disruptions allowed for consistent gas supply, and the PJM Gas-Electric Team maintained continuous communication with the pipeline control centers to monitor and share operating conditions and forecasts.

Natural gas generation in particular showed improved performance from Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, due in part to fewer outages from the gas production and transportation sectors. 

At its peak, the forced outage rate during the recent cold weather was 16,119 MW; outages during Elliott reached as high as 46,000 MW. 

PJM said they will have the breakdown of forced power plant outages by fuel types for the February 8 meeting of the Operating Committee.  Meeting materials will be posted.

PJM’s forecasts of electricity demand, or load, were consistently within 3% of the actual peak load, and the number of generator outages matched anticipated outage levels. 

Throughout the week, PJM exported anywhere from 5,000 MW to 12,000 MW, with an average of approximately 8,000 MW, to neighboring systems, Souder said. During the coldest periods, Souder said, PJM’s exports represented nearly 10% of its own needs.

Souder credited the improvements in part to lessons learned from Elliott, including cold-weather preparations by generation owners and PJM’s action to put units on the system earlier. Over 400 generators reported making winterization improvements, Souder said.

Click Here for the PJM presentation slides.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

The PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia, including Pennsylvania.

Related Articles - Winter Storm Gerri:

-- PJM Interconnection Issues New Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 19-22  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection: Winter Weather Forces Natural Gas Pipeline Fuel Restrictions, ‘Conservative Operations’ Declared To Assure Electric Grid Reliability Through Jan. 17  [PaEN]

Related Article:

-- Senate Environmental Committee To Hold 2nd Joint Hearing With Ohio Legislature On Electric Grid Reliability Feb. 1;  Will It Address Natural Gas Infrastructure Vulnerabilities?  [PaEN]

[Posted: January 29, 2024]  PA Environment Digest