The Great Electric Grid Gamble

By JON FORD
Guest Columnist

During the last week of August, as Americans turned up their air conditioners, the power grid was stressed. With temperatures reaching over 90 degrees, the grid operators at the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO), PJM, and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) probably wished they had access to the abundant wind energy they’ve been hearing about. Turns out, the wind did not cooperate.

Let’s start with MISO, which oversees power supply for 15 states, including most of Indiana. MISO issued a Maximum Generation Warning, grid operator-speak for “Uh-oh, we might be in trouble.” MISO’s forecast underestimated its power demand, and when it needed wind the most, wind energy underperformed, and suddenly, MISO was left with importing much of its power from PJM and Manitoba Hydro.

PJM, which oversees power supply for 13 states, including the Northeast corner of Indiana, had also issued a Maximum Generation Alert. The grid was stressed with high demand, and PJM had to export more power to its neighbor, MISO.

And then there’s SPP, the grid operator located west of MISO’s footprint. SPP declared an Energy Emergency Alert because, well, the wind wasn’t feeling it. Wind turbines, those majestic, towering symbols of renewable energy, were doing what they do best – being inconsistent. The wind fleet produced a fraction of its accredited capacity when everyone needed it most. It’s like relying on a cat to watch over your goldfish – not exactly a foolproof plan.

The reality is that while wind and solar power are great for making us feel good about saving the planet, they’re not so great at keeping the lights on when it counts. They’re like that friend who’s really enthusiastic about starting a band but never actually shows up to practice. Sure, wind and solar are part of our energy future, but they’re not ready to be the star of the show just yet.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m all for reducing carbon emissions and embracing renewable energy. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that we can retire all the coal and natural gas plants tomorrow and everything will be fine. It won’t be. We need those plants to keep the grid stable, especially when the wind decides to take a nap.

And here’s the kicker: the strategy of relying on neighboring regions for power imports is like depending on your neighbor’s Wi-Fi when your internet goes down. It works until it doesn’t. If PJM hadn’t been able to export power to MISO, we might have seen some serious blackouts.

The truth is the energy transition is complicated. We can’t just slap a few solar panels on our roofs, put up some wind turbines, and call it a day. We need a balanced energy mix that includes renewables, but also reliable sources like natural gas, coal, and nuclear power. Otherwise, we’re setting ourselves up for a future where energy crises like last week’s become the norm, not the exception.

So, what’s the lesson here? It’s simple: Don’t put all your eggs in the renewable energy basket just yet. We need to be realistic about what wind and solar can deliver, and we need to make sure we’re not prematurely shutting down the power plants that keep the grid running. The energy transition is a marathon, not a sprint, and we’ve got to pace ourselves.

In conclusion, last week’s grid drama should be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks the future is solely wind and solar. Yes, they’re important, but they’re not a magic bullet. We need to keep our options open, keep our power plants running, and most importantly, keep the lights on.

Jon Ford is the president of Reliable Energy, Inc.