Keeping the lights on

Source: BY MATTHEW CHOI, Politico • Posted: Sunday, November 28, 2021

The rapidly evolving resource mix behind the U.S. power grid requires a new approach to ensuring there is enough power supply to meet demand, according to a report released Tuesday by Grid Strategies that was prepared for the American Council on Renewable Energy.

The report lays out nine recommendations for FERC, states and regional grid operators to consider as they assess how to address “resource adequacy” and keep the lights on while the nation transitions to cleaner power, particularly in the wake of rolling blackouts in California and Texas. Providing non-discriminatory capacity values to clean energy resources, increasing regional planning, and avoiding federal policies that undermine state clean energy goals — in particular any repeats of FERC’s controversial minimum offer price rule expansion — are among the strategies the report advocates for.

The issue is top of mind for FERC, which is reassessing resource adequacy as power producers develop new sources of electricity generation, and as the grid faces new stresses caused by extreme weather events across the country. “We all need reliability to be achieved … to continue this rapid march towards cleaner and cleaner energy,” said Rob Gramlich, author of the report and founder and president of Grid Strategies, during a webinar hosted by ACORE Tuesday.