By Julia Kortrey and Matt Walker
With cold, ice, and snow striking much of the state in the run-up to Thanksgiving, Pennsylvania recently confronted the inevitable after an unusually mild and dry autumn.
Concerns about the impact of the impending winter on heating and electricity costs accompanied that change in the weather. These worries are exacerbated this year by uncertainties about the resilience of our electric power grid to severe cold and potential severe winter storms.
These are legitimate worries. Our electrical grid is under stress due to extreme weather, which is made worse by climate change and Pennsylvania’s over reliance on fossil fuels.Energy experts who keep an eye on our country’s electric power grid have expressed concern that, especially areas that rely significantly on gas power plants, Pennsylvania and other sections of the country may experience energy shortages during periods of extreme cold.
Although this issue is not new, it is getting worse very quickly. The number of severe weather-related power disruptions is sharply rising. Pennsylvania ranks as the nation’s eighth-worst state for significant outages, and its residents endure more disruptions than most.
An electrical grid that is already being expected to generate more electricity to meet increased demand—primarily from plans for massive, electricity-hungry data centers—is further taxed by extreme weather. If the proper actions are not taken now, Pennsylvania faces a particularly uncertain future. This is due to the fact that gas accounts for almost 60% of Pennsylvania’s electrical production. Just 3% to 5% originate from domestically produced, more affordable, and more dependable renewable energy sources including hydropower, wind, and solar. Coal and nuclear power account for the majority of the remainder.
Because gas plants and pipelines are disproportionately impacted by extreme winter weather, this excessive reliance on gas is a major issue. This was demonstrated two years ago during Winter Storm Elliot, the severe cold snap that caused some Pennsylvania families to go without power throughout the holiday season and increased electricity rates. During the storm, 46 gigawatts (GW) of power—enough to power the whole state of California—went out of service throughout our region. Seventy percent of the failures were at gas plants. Failures in coal and gas generation systems, such as low pressure, frozen equipment, and a lack of commercially accessible fuel, were the main reason of the unacceptably high failure rate, according to PJM Connection, the corporation in charge of our region’s electric grid management. The consequences of that storm showed that fossil fuels, especially gas, don’t work well at extremely cold temperatures when the extra power is most needed. After years of overvaluing gas plants, PJM is now lowering their worth moving forward due to their unreliability during the storm. Electricity rates are predicted to rise as a result of this, PJM’s backlog in approving new renewable energy projects, and its agreements with older coal plants for backup power.
There were other instances of the Winter Storm Elliott blackouts. At least 246 people lost their lives in a devastating power outage in Texas in 2021 that was mostly caused by fossil fuel power plants and put utility prices over the roof.
When there are insufficient alternative energy sources, grid issues might become severe. This has happened in places like North Carolina and Tennessee, where widespread blackouts were triggered by coal and gas plant outages. In major measure, Pennsylvania’s dependable nuclear and renewable energy sources helped to prevent certain outages.
The approach to keep the lights on and utility costs more consistent during periods of high heat and cold includes energy storage and renewable energy. We may improve our readiness for the upcoming winter storm, summer heat wave, or catastrophic hurricane by switching to a more varied power source. In 2023, solar and wind energy helped stabilize electricity prices amid Texas’ heatwave, a strategy that has been successful in other states. Additionally, California and Texas averted rolling blackouts just this past summer thanks to increased energy storage investments.
However, how can Pennsylvania’s leaders establish a more dependable and clean energy balance? In order to establish targets that will diversify Pennsylvania’s energy mix, they might fortify their renewable energy requirement. In order to reduce energy consumption and lower utility costs, they might establish new energy efficiency goals for homes and businesses. In order to expedite the process of linking the numerous renewable energy projects that are currently proposed but awaiting PJM’s approval, they can collaborate with the electric grid operator. Our politicians should strongly advocate for battery storage and renewable energy sources in these circumstances, and Pennsylvania must have a say in which energy sources should be given priority when it comes to replacing retiring fossil fuel power facilities.
By expanding the amount of affordable and dependable renewable energy we utilize, we can diversify our energy mix and ensure that our power grid can endure weather extremes while protecting Pennsylvania residents from the whiplash of utility bills.
Matt Walker is the Clean Air Council’s Director of Advocacy.
Julia Kortrey is Evergreen Action’s Deputy State Policy Director.
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