Heat wave might break electric grid record

Jul 18 - Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, MA)

The manager of New England's electric grid is predicting near-record energy demand today and calling on residents and businesses to limit electricity use where possible.

Independent System Operator New England officials say this week's hot temperatures and high humidity could push demand up to 27,600 megawatts in the region's six states. One megawatt of electricity can power about 1,000 homes in New England.

The all-time record for demand across the region was set Aug. 2, 2006, at 28,130 megawatts.

On Cape Cod, the all-time record for electricity use was set July 22, 2011, at 560 megawatts, the same day NStar, which delivers electricity on the Cape and Martha's Vineyard as well as to other areas in Southeastern Massachusetts and around Boston, reached its record peak at 4,978 megawatts, the utility's spokesman Michael Durand said.

"We're actually prepared for use close to record levels," Durand said.

Temperatures are expected to hit near 90 across the Cape today, with high humidity.

Electricity use on the Cape already exceeded its forecast summer peak of 522 megawatts July 5 when demand hit 535 megawatts. Over the next several days, NStar's distribution system was plagued by outages as transformers and fuses blew because of air conditioners being flipped on across the Cape.

At the height of the outages on July 6, almost 25,000 Cape customers were without power.

Despite the recent outages, Durand said that NStar largely has been successful in planning and investing for future demand.

"This year alone, we're investing over $200 million in the system to further reduce the possibility of service interruptions," Durand said.

Contrary to information provided earlier to the Times by an NStar spokeswoman, the company is not expecting individuals to report when they install air conditioners, Durand said.

It's only when large energy users make substantial changes in their electric needs that NStar is contacted, he said.

As residential air conditioners are gradually added to the system, however, it can create a demand that surprises the utility's prediction models, he said.

"It's well-known that the type of weather that we're seeing right now is something that we need to plan for going forward," he said.

For businesses that lost power over the busy July Fourth weekend, the utility's promises are cold comfort.

"July Fourth we took a hit," said Gary Abramson, co-owner of Sundancer's, a restaurant in West Dennis.

Power to the restaurant went out July 5 because of a blown transformer in the area. The next day, power went out again because of another blown transformer, this time on the property, but a customer who works for NStar made sure the business got to the top of the list for repairs and it was open for business again by 5:30 p.m., Abramson said.

Abramson said he didn't know why the utility doesn't make improvements ahead of heat waves.

"Maybe they want to save money," he said.

NStar monitors increases in use and models future demand based on population growth, weather and other factors, Durand said, adding that the company uses infrared and high-resolution photography from helicopters and workers on the ground to regularly inspect its system.

"What we can promise is that we continue to upgrade the system and continue to monitor it at times like this," he said. "If anything does happen, we will work quickly."

Remote capabilities that the utility continues to build into the system, as well as major transmission upgrades like the third 345-kilovolt line recently installed across the Cape Cod Canal, allow NStar officials to adjust to demand locally and provide a robust supply to the Cape, Durand said.

Although the peak across the region was less than expected on Tuesday at 26,210 megawatts, it is still forecast to reach 27,600 megawatts today, closing in on the 2006 record, according to ISO New England spokeswoman Marcia Blomberg.

On Tuesday, 29,882 megawatts of power was available if needed, according to ISO's website.

"The dew point came in a bit lower than forecasted, which had an effect on demand, and we believe that the request for conservation was effective in further dampening load, although it's difficult to quantify," Blomberg wrote in an email to the Times about Tuesday's peak. "We expect demand to continue to grow throughout the heat wave."

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