News
GRDA Statement on SPP Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 1 Declaration
Feb 14, 2021
Southwest Power Pool RTO Service Territory.
The Grand River Dam Authority received notification from the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the Regional Transmission Operator, and host of the integrated energy market for a 17-state region, that SPP would be declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 1, effective 5AM Monday, February 15.
According to SPP, due to the effects of widespread and extreme cold weather across the region, it is asking member utilities, including GRDA, to conserve energy beginning at 12AM central time on Monday, Feb. 15, and for the following 48 hours to mitigate the risk of more widespread and longer-lasting outages.
SPP had declared a period of conservative operations earlier in the week, prior to today’s EEA1 declaration.
This declaration means that member utilities are asked to operate conservatively to mitigate any risks as weather conditions worsen. An EEA1 signals that SPP foresees or is experiencing conditions where all available electric generating resources are scheduled to meet firm load obligations and that it may be unable to sustain its required contingency reserves.
GRDA has relayed this information to its electricity customers, including its wholesale customer communities in Oklahoma. The need to conserve electricity and natural gas is rising to a necessary level to ensure the safety of the region’s electric power grid.
Some conservation recommendations for customers are as follows:
- Turn down thermostats to 68 degrees.
- Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances. Avoid using large appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc.).
- Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
- Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
GRDA will continue to coordinate with SPP to prepare for any changes in this current status.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SPP preparing for worsening system conditions du…
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