Minnkota Power, Wild Rice Electric’s wholesale power provider, has more than adequate generation capacity available to deliver efficient, reliable power to its entire membership. However, with the intense summer heat, the larger grid may rely on upper Midwest utilities to work together to disperse resources due to anticipated energy capacity shortfalls.
Utilities, such as Minnkota, across the Upper Midwest are connected through Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). MISO is an independent, not-for-profit, member-based organization responsible for operating the power grid across 15 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba serving 42 million people. Emergency events experienced in other parts of the MISO region can and do have impacts back to the Minnkota system which Wild Rice Electric is a part of.
The connected power grid offers benefits to the participating utilities such as Minnkota. In events when generation assets are down due to maintenance or unplanned outages, that energy loss is able to be replaced from other participating interconnected utility providers. In more urgent scenarios, grid emergencies in other parts of the Upper Midwest can and do impact service to the Minnkota members. In emergency events, MISO has the ability to take control of all utility systems, including Minnkota’s, and make decisions which potentially could include controlled power interruptions.
MISO’s peak demand for electricity typically occurs in the summermonths during the hottest days of the year. The organization is conductingtraining and exercises to prepare for worst-case scenarios and is alsoimplementing lessons learned and best practices. Likewise, Minnkota’s energy purchasingteam is working to ensure it’s ready to respond to volatile market andreliability conditions.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) – the federal regulatory entity responsible for the reliability of the nation’s electric grid – is also expressing concerns heading into the summer season. According to NERC, MISO is in the “high risk” category, and has the potential of “facing capacity shortfalls in its north and central areas during both normal and extreme conditions due to [energy] generator retirements and increased demand.”
While there are challenges, Minnkota supports efforts to reimagine how electricity can be produced, delivered and consumed. But the implementation of these ideas must be met with caution. After all, there is a lot on the line. A resilient and reliable electric grid that affordably keeps the lights on is the cornerstone of the American economy and our national security.
Minnkota and Wild Rice Electric continue to take the steps on their part to protect their members from power reliability challenges through training and education, maintaining a diverse energy mix, upgrading power delivery systems, continuous cybersecurity evolution and strategically utilizing demand response.
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