Here is an update on the current status of our electric service in Kansas and Missouri. We are part of the Southwest Power Pool, and the SPP is close to an all-time high of electric usage. Currently, there is no emergency, but, the environment can change quickly. I request all facilities to check the status of your emergency electric power. Please perform all testing, maintenance, and verify the emergency power is ready to perform. We do not want a surprise, like last February 2021, with the natural gas business. The below is an update from Jim Zakoura, APS legal counsel. APS participates in the Natural Gas Group, and KIC for Electric issues with Evergy.
Kansas and the 14 states of the Southwest Power Pool are predicted to experience high temperatures today (and throughout this week), that will range to 105 degrees.
These high temperatures are early for the summer season – such high temperatures do not generally occur in Kansas until July and August.
The Southwest Power Pool is predicting peak electric demand today of 51,026 MW – which will occur between 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm, this evening. .
The Southwest Power Pool all-time peak electric demand for its 14-state transmission system, is 51,037 MW – which occurred on July 21, 2021.
Since these high temperatures are early in the summer season, SPP will have available more wind energy resources for dispatch than would be the case if the high temperatures occurred later in the summer.
At the predicted peak demand today of 51,026 MW, SPP estimates that it will be able to dispatch about 18,674 MW of wind energy.
Because of the diversity of electric generation in the SPP region – coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar – the SPP region has an advantage over other parts of the country. Diversity of fuel for electric generation, is a cornerstone for our region, for continuous and reliable electric service.
At the present time, the Southwest Power Pool has not issued any “cautions” for the use of electric energy and has not requested conservation measures. However, directives from SPP and the utilities could be forthcoming, if there are mechanical failures of generation assets.
Earlier this year, the region located next to/east of SPP – the Midcontinent Independent System Operator/MISO – indicated that it is nearing electric generation capacity shortfalls, and that it may need to call for conservation
and/or forced reductions (rolling blackouts) on its system. Because of the potential difficult supply situation of MISO, it can be expected that SPP will be exporting material amounts of electric energy to the MISO states, as may be physically possible.
MISO has declared a “Market Capacity Emergency, beginning on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, as follows: Prepare to implement the MISO Market Capacity Emergency procedure and follow procedures for emergency conditions.
