Energy In-depth: MISO Power Demand Hits All-Time High Under Summer Heat
by July 31, 2015 6:22 am 243 views
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MISO POWER DEMAND HITS ALL-TIME HIGH AS SOUTH REGION HEATS UP
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) said Thursday that power demand set a new all-time peak for the four-state MISO South region at 32,618 megawatts (MW) on Wednesday. The previous all-time peak for the South Region was 31,789 MW set on August 3, 2011.
“As temperatures rise, and people do everything they can to keep cool, we are seeing a big increase in the amount of power people are using across our South region,” said Katherine Prewitt, Senior Director of South Region Operations.
Despite setting a new all-time peak record, MISO has not had to declare emergency operations procedures. MISO issued several hot weather alert notifications, which are designed to prepare operating personnel and facilities for extreme weather conditions.
The MISO South footprint encompasses all or part of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. MISO integrated the southern region in 2013. It also opened its $22 million South Region command center in West Little Rock in May to manage the MISO South electric system.
SPP: STATE-BY-STATE APPROACH TO MEET EPA MANDATE WOULD COST $3.3 BILLION
Grid operator Southwest Power Pool (SPP) released its third and final analysis of the potential impact of the EPA’s draft Clean Power Plan, saying it would cost an estimated $3.3 billion annually in new generation capital investment and energy production costs to comply with the federal “dirty air” mandate.
The analysis revealed that a state-by-state compliance approach potentially would result in nearly 40% higher costs than a regional approach outlined in a report released in March. In an earlier analysis in April, Little Rock-based SPP said it would cost up to $2.9 billion a year to develop a regional plan across SPP’s regional footprint to comply with President Obama’s proposal to cut carbon emissions by 30% at existing power plants from 2005 levels by 2030.
MURPHY OIL POSTS $73 MILLION NET LOSS, ANNOUNCES 7% JOB REDUCTION
Arkansas oil giant Murphy Oil Corp., now a pure-play oil and gas explorer, saw its second quarter earnings fall deeper into the well as benchmark international crude prices fell to their lowest since the beginning of the year. Murphy Oil posted a net quarterly loss of $73 million on declining revenues of $738 million. Murphy Oil CEO Roger Jenkins responded by saying the El Dorado-based oil and gas company has reduced its payroll by cutting over 100 positions from its global workforce of more than 1,500 employees – a nearly 7% reduction.
NFL’S BALTIMORE RAVENS GO SOLAR
The Baltimore Ravens announced an agreement with utility giant Constellation on Thursday to construct a 375-kilowatt (DC) solar generation project at the team’s headquarters and training facility in Owings Mills, Md.
Constellation will own and operate the solar power system, while the Ravens will purchase the electricity generated by the solar panels from Constellation under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The system is expected to generate approximately 460,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is nearly 15% of the NFL team’s electricity needs.
The solar power system will be located at the team’s 200,000-square-foot training facility that houses a full-size indoor practice field, player support functions, a TV studio and executive offices. The new system will consist of approximately 1,210 photovoltaic panels on the facility’s field house and grounds keeping buildings.