Expect electric shortages in the Midwest, parts of the South, the Northeast, and Texas; and expect voltage reductions and blackouts in those regions.

WASHINGTON DC, USA, December 12, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Winter is bearing down on the nation’s electric utilities. It has had a furious start with rain and snow in the West, and cold across the Midwest and the Northeast.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has been emphatic: Expect electric shortages in the Midwest, parts of the South, the Northeast, and Texas; and expect voltage reductions and blackouts in those regions.

It is a grim prospect heightened by the times when severe and unpredictable weather is the normal rather than the aberrant.

On the bright side, if there is one, forecasters are expecting an overall mild winter because of El Nino conditions in the Pacific.

But that won’t save the vulnerable regions when seriously disruptive weather strikes, bringing about a winter of discontent for utilities, their customers, regulators, and politicians.

"If there are major blackouts there will be political fallout with some blaming renewables and others the gas industry for supply limitations and profit-seeking," says longtime energy journalist Llewellyn King.

The proximate causes are the Northeast hasn’t built the gas pipeline infrastructure that it needs; the Midwest has lost a lot of nuclear and coal generation due to early retirement; Texas, which is having a growth spurt, isn’t fully aligned with the weather variations it is experiencing; and new weather patterns require greater weatherization which hasn’t been done in the South.

Against these troubling prospects, the United States Energy Association -- a non-profit, non-lobbying, all-fuels organization, founded in 1924 -- is holding another in its series of virtual press briefings to look at the coming winter and the anticipated choke points.

The briefing on Zoom is on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. It is open to the press, members of the USEA, and the public.

By arrangement, Llewellyn King organizes and moderates these briefings. USEA Acting Executive Director Sheila Hollis gives welcoming and closing remarks.

As with previous briefings, a panel of experts in the field will be questioned by a panel of knowledgeable reporters.
The whole exchange is Q&A and is designed to transfer as much information through the press to the public as possible. But USEA members and the public can ask questions via the Zoom chat function.

The experts:
Jim Robb, President & CEO, NERC
Robert Rowe, CEO, NorthWestern Energy
Anne George, VP External Affairs & Corporate Communications, ISO New England
Scott Aaronson, Sr. VP Security & Preparedness, Edison Electric Institute
Philip Sharp, former U.S. Representative (D-IN)

The reporters:
Elizabeth Souder, Freelance
Jennifer Hiller, The Wall Street Journal
Rod Kuckro, Freelance
Matt Chester, Energy Central
Ken Silverstein, Forbes

Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_udKIsUlkSrCNbLN2YCLkXA

Llewellyn King
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