FERC, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and NERC’s Regional Entities have launched a joint review of the performance of the bulk power system during the successive cold weather events in January, including a multi-day polar vortex that enveloped much of the United States with bitterly cold weather on January 19-24.
During the events, the bulk power system operated without any major incidents, with no major fuel system disruptions impacting electric generation.
“I commend the industry’s performance during January and look forward to learning more about what worked well during very challenging winter conditions,” said FERC Chairman Mark Christie.
Jim Robb, NERC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Learning through actual experience will help inform both gas and electric industry actions in anticipation of future cold weather events, which are occurring with alarming frequency even during otherwise mild winters.”
The review will look at the electric and gas industries’ winter preparation activities and identify any notable changes made since FERC and NERC completed joint inquiries into Winter Storms Uri (2021) and Elliott (2022) as well as any additional opportunities to enhance winter operations. A summary of the review is expected to be discussed at a FERC open meeting in the spring with a report to follow.
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