FERC, NERC combine on outage inquiry
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff and Gerry Cauley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation NERC, announced that they are combining the efforts of their separate inquiries into the causes of the electric outages and natural gas delivery disruptions that occurred in the Southwest, during an unusual cold spell in early February of this year.
FERC and NERC have been sharing information but conducting separate inquiries into the matter. FERC and NERC staffs will issue a joint report on findings and recommendations and present them to the Commission and to the NERC Board of Trustees.
The Federal Power Act of 2005 gives FERC authority to oversee the reliability of the nationÂ’s bulk electric system. FERC has designated NERC as the organization that develops and enforces mandatory reliability standards.
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BOSTON - New England is relying on oil-fired generators for the most electricity since 2018 as a frigid blast boosts demand for power and natural gas prices soar.
Oil generators were producing more than 4,200 megawatts early Thursday, accounting for about a quarter of the grid’s power supply, according to ISO New England. That was the most since Jan. 6, 2018, when oil plants produced as much as 6.4 gigawatts, or 32% of the grid’s output, said Wood Mackenzie analyst Margaret Cashman.
Oil is typically used only when demand spikes, because of higher costs and emissions concerns. Consumption has been consistently…
