Post: PJM operated reliably throughout Winter storm challenges

PJM operated reliably throughout Winter storm challenges

PJM has shared its preliminary analysis of operating and market conditions during Winter Storm Elliott in December, outlining how PJM and its members preserved the reliable flow of power and how market prices reflected system needs through record-breaking cold and unplanned generation outages.

The extreme weather through the weekend of December 23–25, coupled with high generation outages, resulted in PJM emergency procedures, including the deployment of demand response to reduce load and an RTO-wide Call for Conservation, the first such appeal since the 2014 Polar Vortex. Despite the advance planning for the winter storm by PJM and its members, the power supply mix was much tighter than PJM expected.

The storm, and then its associated cold temperatures, impacted a large portion of the United States from the Northwest, Midwest, South and throughout the Northeast/mid-Atlantic regions. PJM saw an unprecedented 12-hour average temperature drop of 29 degrees on December 23. Over the period PJM issued a series of Cold Weather Advisories and Cold Weather Alerts. PJM then implemented emergency procedures, including calls for synchronized reserves, an RTO-wide Maximum Generation Emergency Action and a call on demand response.

During the period PJM saw high levels of generation outages and the grid operator was missing approximately 57,000MW of its generation fleet by the morning peak of December 24.

PJM said calls for conservation, a Maximum Generation Action and demand response are believed to have eased operating conditions through the December 24 morning peak of about 129,000MW and the evening peak that day of about 126,000MW.

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