On January 12, the PJM Interconnection declared ‘Conservative Operations’ to maintain electric grid reliability forced by natural gas pipeline fuel restrictions brought on by winter weather impacts on their operations.

When PJM declares Conservative Operations, system operators have more flexibility to make decisions to maintain reliability. No action is requested of the public.

When Conservative Operations is declared, PJM Dispatch reviews and considers recalling or canceling noncritical planned generation and transmission maintenance outages and may reduce transfers of electricity into, across or through the PJM system.

These and other potential actions can be taken to increase reserves and reduce power flows on selected facilities.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

PJM Cold Weather Advisory

On January 9, the PJM Interconnection issued a Cold Weather Advisory for its Western Region for Jan. 14–17 ahead of forecast frigid temperatures in that region.

When PJM expects significantly cold weather to impact all or parts of the PJM footprint, it issues a Cold Weather Advisory to provide a two-to-five-day notice that forecast temperatures may call for a Cold Weather Alert.

This is meant to give generation owners ample time to proactively prepare their units to operate during pending cold weather and to provide information to PJM about their operating availability, capabilities and limitations to help PJM operators plan for the extreme weather.

Temperatures are expected to reach the single digits in PJM’s Western Region, which will drive up the demand for electricity in that area.

Affected Areas

Those operating areas affecting Pennsylvania include--

-- Duquesne Light Company

-- FirstEnergy South – former Allegheny Power Systems (West Penn Power, Mon Power, Potomac Edison)

-- FirstEnergy West – former American Transmission Systems, Inc. (Penn Power, Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison)

Click Here for a complete list of companies affected.

PJM, expects to have more than 181,000 MW of resources to meet the forecasted winter peak demand of approximately 137,000 MW plus an average forecast of just under 4,000 MW of electricity exports to neighboring systems.

In 2023, PJM implemented winter readiness measures beyond its annual Cold Weather Preparation Guideline and Checklist, seasonal fuel and emissions surveys, and other operations and planning steps.

These measures were implemented as a result of lessons learned from recent extreme weather events, including Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, when the grid was stressed, but PJM was able to maintain reliable electric service.

Generators are also reporting specifics of cold weather preparedness and operations to PJM as a result of new requirements this season introduced by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), including identifying and taking corrective actions for equipment that failed during Winter Storm Elliott or may be at risk of failing under similar conditions.

Click Here for the complete PJM announcement.

The PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia, including Pennsylvania.

NewsClips This Week - Grid Reliability:

-- Investing.com: Winter Storm Causes Widespread Power Outages On US East Coast, Echoing 2022 Winter Storm Nearly Causing The  Collapse Of Power, Natural Gas Systems

-- Reuters: US Power, Natural Gas Prices Soar As Extreme Freeze Hits Natural Gas Supplies [Again]

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Rebound Amid Escalating Violence In Middle East

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Plants ‘Disproportionately Vulnerable To Failure’ Warns Union Of Concerned Scientists Report

-- Reuters: PJM Interconnection Asks Talen Energy To Postpone Retirements Of Oil, Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants In Maryland Due To Grid Reliability Concerns

-- USA Today: A Polar Vortex Is Just The Beginning; January Weather Forecast Is Chaotic And Dangerous

-- Utility Dive: PJM Interconnection Triples Annual Electric Grid Load Growth To 2.4% Driven By Data Centers, Electrification

-- Financial Times: Resurgent US Electricity Demand Sparks Power Grid Warnings

-- Broad+Liberty Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Are Better Off For Having More Electricity Options - By John Hanger, Former DEP Secretary, PUC Commissioner

Related Articles - Grid Reliability:

-- PJM Urges United Action To Sustain Grid Reliability Through The Energy Transition, Avoid Unreliability Issues Of Natural Gas, Other Generators [PaEN]

-- FERC Approves PJM $1.25 Billion Winter Storm Elliot Settlement With Non-Performing Natural Gas, Other Electricity Generators [PaEN]

-- PJM Makes Multiple Reliability-Focused Improvements To Prepare For Winter To Deal With 70% Natural Gas, Other Generator Nonperformance In 2022 [PaEN]

-- House Hearing: Shapiro Administration Supports Expanding Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards; Renewables Lower Energy Costs; Increase Grid Reliability; More Work Needed To Improve Gas Reliability [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 4 to 12 - 9 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Leaking Wastewater Tanks; Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Cleanup Continues; Pipeline Land Slips  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 13  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 13 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

2023 Oil & Gas Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Issued At Least 512 Violations To 95 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2023; 10 Shale Gas Operators Were Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN] 

-- 2023 Shale Gas Operator Compliance Report: 1,310 Violations; Explosions; Pad Fire, Evacuation; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack-Outs; Polluting Water Supply; Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home; More  [PaEN]

-- PA Environment Digest: Articles On Oil & Gas Facility Impacts

Related Articles This Week:

-- Environmental Hearing Board Allows Protect PT Appeal Of Olympus Shale Gas Well Permits In Westmoreland County To Proceed; Olympus Was Trying To Deprive Protect PT Of Its Rights  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection: Winter Weather Forces Natural Gas Pipeline Fuel Restrictions, ‘Conservative Operations’ Declared To Assure Electric Grid Reliability Through Jan. 17  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Water Quality Certification For Equitrans Project To Replace Abandoned Natural Gas Storage Wells In Greene County Due To Coal Mining  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reviewing Equitrans Act 2 Soil Cleanup Report On Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Conventional Well That Failed Venting 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas In Cambria County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued Air Quality Permit For Leachate Evaporation System At Westmoreland  Landfill With Special Radiation Monitoring Due To The Disposal Of Shale Gas Drilling Waste  [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets Feb. 27 Hearing On Helix Ironwood Gas-Fired Power Plant Air Quality Permit Renewal, Lebanon County  [PaEN]

-- No False Solutions PA Coalition Issues Position Statement On Hydrogen, Carbon Capture & Storage, Chemical Recycling Of Plastics, Other Climate 'Solutions'  [PaEN]

-- Jewish Earth Alliance, Beth Am Israel Hosting Jan. 23 Online Program Rethinking Our Connection To Fossil Fuels - A Discussion  [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: EPA Proposes Waste Charge On Methane Leaking From Large Oil & Gas Facilities  [PaEN]

NewsClips This Week - Oil & Gas:

-- Bob Donnan Blog: Fracking Groundwater Study Underway In SW PA

-- TribLive: Olympus Energy Contends Natural Gas Compressor Station For Penn Twp. Not Harmful To Environment In Westmoreland County

-- Bob Donnan Blog: What’s Not To Hate About Natural Gas Compressor Stations?

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA Natural Gas Pipeline Capacity Problem Persists [Industry Points To Out-Of-State Pipeline Delays As Examples]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Partisan Split On Energy, Environment Makes Compromise Unlikely

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Chesapeake Energy Buys Southwestern Leapfrogging EQT As Biggest Gas Producer In US

-- Bloomberg Columnist: US Oil And Gas Boom Doesn’t Feel Like One To Workers

-- Wall Street Journal - Kris Maher: Democrat PA Gov. Shapiro, CNX Fracking Executive And The Deal They Struck, Can It Work?

-- TribLive Editorial: Hydrogen Isn’t Clean If It Adds To Climate Pollution; Biden’s Rules Are A Good Start

[Posted: January 14, 2024]

1/15/2024