News

GRDA Statement on Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 3 Declaration

Feb 16, 2021

This morning the Grand River Dam Authority received notification that the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the electric balancing market for a 17-state region, was declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 3. Under the EEA Level 3 declaration, SPP must utilize operating reserves below the required minimum or ask its member utilities to implement controlled service interruptions. Alert Level 3 is the highest alert level that SPP uses in a situation of energy shortage.

GRDA will be forced to interrupt service at the request of SPP in order to balance generation and load, and maintain system stability, across the region. Not all GRDA customers will be affected at one time, but on a rotational basis this action may negatively impact power delivery to some customers, resulting in a controlled interruption of service that will persist for approximately one hour per rotation.

Further conservation of energy across the SPP footprint is being pursued as a means to reduce the need for further interruptions. The purpose of this plan is to control and manage the situation to ensure the best outcome in not having a more widespread interruption of service.

GRDA System Operations will be in contact with representatives of utility systems served by GRDA in advance of these interruptions.

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