Weather 20009 iso#

This year, the ISO hosted a tabletop exercise with these groups to dive deeper into how the region would respond under extreme conditions. ISO New England also holds pre-winter briefings with the region’s utilities and government officials to discuss our expectations for the season and test emergency communication procedures. Climate change is making weather more volatile and harder to predict, while stimulating more severe weather. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is projecting above-average temperatures in New England this winter, though a warmer-than-average season does not eliminate the threat of prolonged stretches of cold weather.

The ISO also consults seasonal weather forecasts. ISO New England works with generators to understand their fuel procurement plans, while offering a pre-winter training to discuss market and operational changes. Pre-season training, weather forecasts inform system preparationĮach year, planning for the winter season begins months in advance. In the event controlled power outages are needed, the ISO would coordinate this action with local utilities, which would then take the necessary actions to lower electricity demand in their areas. The ISO does not anticipate calling for controlled power outages this winter, and would resort to this drastic step only to prevent a collapse of the power system that would take days or weeks to repair. “If long periods of severely cold weather develop, we’ll lean on our forecasting tools to identify potential problems early enough to take proactive measures, such as calling for increased fuel deliveries or asking for public conservation.” “Based on seasonal weather forecasts and information provided by generators about their fuel arrangements, the region’s power system is prepared for mild and moderate weather conditions,” said Gordon van Welie, ISO New England’s president and CEO. Prolonged periods of very cold weather continue to pose power system reliability risks, but ISO New England will use procedures and plans, including a rolling three-week energy supply forecast, with the goal of mitigating these conditions should they materialize. New England should have adequate electricity supplies under mild and moderate weather conditions this winter, according to ISO New England, operator of the region’s electric grid.