PA Environment Digest Blog: PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation Alert For July 15; Natural Gas Accounted For Most Generation Outages In June Generation Alert

On July 14, the PJM Interconnection issued a Maximum Generation Alert and Load Management Alert for July 15 requiring electric generation facility owners to generate the maximum amount of electricity to meet forecast demand for customers across 13 states-- including Pennsylvania-- and the District of Columbia.

This alert does not require any action from customers.

PJM is issuing the Maximum Generation Alert mainly to notify neighboring systems that electricity exports from PJM may be curtailed on July 15.

The alert serves as a procedural step that allows those neighboring regions affected to plan accordingly.

The alert is also targeted at transmission/generation owners, who then determine if any maintenance or testing on equipment can be deferred or canceled.

By deferring maintenance, the units stay online and continue to produce energy that is needed.

PJM issues this alert at the same time as a Load Management Alert, which gives advance notification that load management action may be declared, including non-Emergency and Emergency Demand Response.

Demand Response programs pay customers in advance who sign up to allow reduction of their electricity use in emergencies.

PJM does not expect to call on Demand Response on July 15, as of Monday evening.

PJM forecasts a peak load of approximately 145,000 MW on July 15.

Click Here for the PJM announcement.

2nd Maximum Alert In Less Than A Month

June’s extreme heat pushed PJM energy demand to the third- and fourth-highest all-time peak loads, PJM said it worked successfully with its generation and transmission owners to maintain the reliable flow of power to customers across 13 states and Washington, D.C.

PJM issued a Maximum Generation Alert June 23 to 25 when the peak load reached over 160,000 MW-- the highest peaks in 14 years.

As noted in a presentation at the PJM Operating Committee July 10, reserve margins at the peak were sufficient through the hot weather that impacted the region June 22–26.

Between June 18 and June 26, outages of electric generation were about 17,940 MW-- natural gas accounted for the most outages-- 8,000 to 10,000 MW, depending on the day; followed by coal and “other.”

Renewables accounted for about 1,000 MW of unplanned outages.

PJM said it made use of all the generation available and was also able to level off demand in the late afternoon by calling on customers who are paid to reduce their energy use in times of high system demand.

These customers, collectively called demand response, will remain a vital resource for dealing with escalating peak energy use.

Generator outages were approximately 5 GW higher than PJM anticipated in its summer outlook, but PJM maintained its reserve requirements – an important metric to avoid power interruption and escalating emergency procedures – at all times during the June heat wave.

Click Here for PJM’s review of the June event.

Visit the PJM Interconnection website for more information. PJM manages the electric grid across 13 states-- including Pennsylvania-- and the District of Columbia.

(Chart: Generation outages during June 18 to 26.)

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 12 to 18 - Uncontrolled Shale Gas Wastewater Release For 34 Hours; Abandoned Conventional Wells Top 300; 107 New Brownfield Sites [PaEN]

-- DEP: Shale Gas Well Control Problem Caused Uncontrolled Release Of Wastewater For Over 34 Hours At Repsol’s Broadleaf Holdings Well Pad In Troy Twp., Bradford County [PaEN]

-- Courier Times: Bucks County Residents, Sen. Santarsiero Say DEP Isn’t Doing Enough To Make Energy Transfer/Sunoco Define The Extent Of Petroleum Pipeline Leak And Clean It Up [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 19 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On 4 Water Quality Permits For Texas Eastern Appalachia To Market 3 Natural Gas Pipeline Upgrade Project In Adams And York Counties [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets July 31 Hearing On Requests To Withdraw Millions Of Gallons Of Water Per Day, Including 11 For Shale Gas Development, 2 Gas Power Plants [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 103 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 19 PA Bulletin [PaEN]