U.S. power grids have a weather problem

Presented by Equinor: Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Dec 15, 2023 View in browser   By Rebekah Alvey Presented by Paul Daruszka clears his driveway Dec. 26, 2022, in Hamburg, New York, after Winter Storm Elliott dumped up to 4 feet of snow on the area, leaving thousands without power. | John Normile/Getty Images Almost a year after Winter Storm Elliott’s freezing temperatures set off an electric grid emergency along the East Coast, energy regulators still aren’t sure something similar wouldn’t happen again. The North American Electric Reliability Corp. and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released a report outlining several steps to prevent further crises. But the organizations — which monitor and regulate the grid — say there are still many unknowns about what went wrong during Elliott, writes Miranda Willson. As climate change causes more frequent and severe extreme weather, the work needed to stay ahead of future storms hasn’t yet met the urgency. Additionally, the transition to clean energy and electric vehicles will increase demand for the electric system, raising new reliability concerns, NERC warned this week. One major challenge for NERC and FERC for years is that neither oversees the nation's vast natural gas pipeline network nor the connection between natural gas and the electric grid. But the only way to expand oversight is through Congress. Energy analysts say the storm highlights a broken system and is a call for government action. “Everything in this report says we’ve got a problem in our gas system, but none of us seem to have any authority over it,” said Mike Jacobs, a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Unpacking the pipeline puzzle Elliott also highlighted vulnerabilities in natural gas, a fuel that has overtaken coal as the largest source of electric power in the past decade, during extreme cold conditions. The storm caused serious issues at natural gas plants as reserves dramatically dropped and pipelines that transport and process gas suffered mechanical problems. “I think post-Elliott, people are like, ‘Wow, gas maybe isn’t reliable and dispatchable, and gas wasn’t there when we needed it,’” said Ric O’Connell, executive director of the GridLab, which studies how to incorporate renewable energy onto the grid. One key recommendation from NERC and FERC was to study if the existing gas pipeline infrastructure is adequate, a move gas utilities and factions of the power industry have supported. Some in the gas industry maintain that pipelines and natural gas have a strong track record of delivery despite extreme weather. To address the concerns, companies have called for more gas infrastructure to ease delivery issues and cited frozen drilling equipment and wellhead freeze-offs as key problems during Elliott — a call certain to conflict with climate activists who oppose any fossil fuel expansion.   It's Friday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Rebekah Alvey. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to ralvey@eenews.net.   POLITICO AT CES® 2024: We are going ALL On at CES 2024 with a special edition of the POLITICO Digital Future Daily newsletter. The CES-focused newsletter will take you inside the most powerful tech event in the world, featuring revolutionary products that cut across verticals, and insights from industry leaders that are shaping the future of innovation. The newsletter runs from Jan. 9-12 and will focus on the public policy-related aspects of the gathering. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the show.     Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Ben Lefebvre breaks down the reaction from U.S. green groups to the agreement reached at the U.N. climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.   A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time. At Equinor, we are determined to use our competence, skills, and innovative spirit to continually search for solutions that will advance the energy transition. Our ambition is to break new ground, create lasting value, and supply energy to a thriving world while achieving net zero by 2050. Discover more about Equinor at www.equinor.com/USA.   Power Centers Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, during a panel discussion at the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 9. | Joshua Bickel/AP Playing nice at COP In a surprising show of bipartisanship, Republicans at the COP28 climate summit appeared unified with Democrats on some climate goals, writes Emma Dumain. Ten members of Congress who attended the meeting in Dubai said Republicans spoke favorably about lowering carbon emissions and aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act. Still, Republicans remained in support of fossil fuels and argued no country should fully transition away from traditional energy sources. Democrats are also not convinced the positive signs from COP will translate into action at home. The kids aren't alright Young people are concerned about their future because of climate change and are doing something about it. Lesley Clark writes about the kids and teens behind the climate lawsuit Genesis B. v. EPA and how climate change directly disrupts their lives. Unlike other youth-led climate lawsuits, Genesis is targeting EPA in hopes the agency will be more open to a resolution. Fish restoration The White House will invest $1 billion to protect salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, writes Jennifer Yachnin. The funds were announced in a settlement agreement with tribes and conservation groups over 14 dams in the region. The Energy Department will work with tribes to develop new energy infrastructure, and the administration will fund research into how services provided by the Lower Snake River dams could be replaced. However, the power to tear down the dams falls to Congress, the White House reiterated Thursday.   A message from Equinor:   In Other News Record temps: NOAA is almost certain 2023 will be the hottest global year on record. November was the sixth consecutive record-warmest month. Young Republicans want climate action: Despite the GOP’s persistent opposition to many environmental protections and climate policies, younger Republicans believe climate change is a problem. Increasingly, young conservatives want policies to address the climate and are more likely to back a candidate that supports these measures.   A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time. Our world needs energy to keep moving forward — but it must be affordable, reliable, and sustainable. We all have a role to play. At Equinor, we’re using our competence, skills, and innovative spirit to continually search for solutions that will advance the energy transition. Our ambition is to break new ground, create lasting value, and supply energy to a thriving world while achieving net zero by 2050. From oil and gas to offshore wind and carbon capture, we’re delivering safe, secure, and reliable energy while creating jobs and investing in a more sustainable US energy system. But this is only the beginning. Discover more about Equinor at www.equinor.com/USA.   Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. The Minnkota Power Cooperative is developing a carbon capture retrofit at the Milton R. Young Station in North Dakota. | Minnkota Power Cooperative The Department of Energy has opened $890 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law for three large-scale carbon capture projects in California, North Dakota and Texas. The projects could prevent about 7.75 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually. Communications firm Climate Power is using $80 million to educate voters on Biden's climate record ahead of the 2024 election. California has extended a nuclear power plant amid concerns it would hurt the state's electricity grid. The plant's two units were scheduled to close in 2024 and 2025, but operations were extended through 2029 and 2030. That's it for today, folks. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!   SUBSCRIBE TO CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.       Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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