Nebraska, Iowa among 17 states included in energy department emergency power order

Key Points:

• The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order for 17 states, including Nebraska and Iowa, authorizing the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) to use backup power sources to ensure the power grid can handle increased demand during a prolonged heatwave.
• The order, effective from Sunday and expiring late Monday, aims to prevent SPP from declaring an energy emergency amid concerns over high peak usage coinciding with low wind energy output.
• Nebraska's major power providers OPPD, LES, and NPPD are members of SPP, which has more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation available nationwide to mitigate potential outages.
• SPP has issued resource advisories warning of potential outage risks in its eastern region, including Nebraska, but current advisories do not require power interruptions or conservation efforts.
• This measure follows precedent from December 2022 when SPP declared an emergency due to extreme cold and record energy use, highlighting ongoing challenges in managing grid reliability during extreme weather events.