May 17 – The agency that oversees New York’s electricity supply said this week that there will be enough power for this summer’s needs.
The New York Independent System Operator reported that under base conditions, electricity supply is sufficient to meet expected summer demand, but reliability concerns remain.
There are 40,733 megawatts of energy resources available to meet the forecast peak demand of 33,301 MW, according to an NYISO report. In 2023, peak summer demand reached 30,206 MW.
In July 2013, New York recorded a record peak of 33,956 MW at the end of a week-long heat wave. Peak demand is a measurement of the average total demand for electricity by consumers over a one-hour period. One megawatt of electricity can serve approximately 800 to 1,000 households.
Since last summer, four production units with a total capacity of 59 MW have been decommissioned and 12 production units – all of which are clean energy sources – with a capacity of 452 MW have been added to the electricity grid, according to a press release. NYISO’s recent Comprehensive Reliability Plan evaluated network reliability through 2032 and found that reliability margins will continue to shrink across the state.
“Reliability margins have fallen by more than 1,000 megawatts in the last two years. That’s a major issue, especially when we’re hit by heat waves,” said Emilie Nelson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the NYISO. “As demand is expected to increase in the coming years, this trend will continue to pose a challenge to system reliability.”
Taking into account certain factors, including the unavailable generation and operational reserve requirements, the reliability margin under base conditions is 752 MW. Under extreme weather scenarios, the reliability margins are expected to be inadequate. For example, if the state experiences a heat wave with an average daily temperature of 95 degrees that lasts for three or more days, the capacity margin is expected to be -1,419 MW. That number drops further to -3,093 MW under an extreme heat wave with an average daily temperature of 98 degrees. Under these conditions, NYISO operators will deploy up to 3,275 MW through emergency procedures to maintain reliability, the press release said.
System reliability requirements are established, maintained and enforced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the Northeast Power Coordinating Council and the New York State Reliability Council.
NYISO is a nonprofit organization responsible for operating the bulk electric grid, administering competitive wholesale electricity markets, conducting comprehensive, long-term planning, and advancing the technological infrastructure of the electric system serving New York.
