Northland Connection: June 2025

Recent Blackout Events Underscore the Value of Local Control

You may have seen the international headlines recently about a major blackout that swept across Spain and Portugal, leaving millions without power for hours. Just days earlier, a much closer-to- home event happened in Louisiana. Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), part of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), faced a major issue with its power grid that led to localized outages in our own region.

Both events offer important lessons and reassurance about the work we’re doing to keep your lights on.

A cascading failure in Spain’s southern grid caused a sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of electricity within seconds. The outage spread across the country, disrupting cities, halting public transportation, affecting hospital operations, and interrupting communication networks. While investigations are still ongoing, reported contributing factors include a high reliance on renewables like wind and solar—resources that can be less flexible during unexpected conditions—and the Iberian Peninsula’s relatively isolated grid, which limits access to backup power from neighboring countries.

As for the event in Louisiana, SWEPCO and SPP (a regional transmission organization that helps coordinate electricity flow across 14 states) faced grid instability caused by unexpected spring heat. With demand surging and planned generation falling short, SPP ordered SWEPCO to immediately reduce power consumption by 140 megawatts to prevent catastrophic widespread grid failure. As a result, over 32,000 customers experienced outages lasting up to six hours, including some served by rural electric cooperatives.

These incidents reveal the growing complexities and vulnerabilities of larger, multi-state grid networks. While RTOs offer certain benefits in terms of shared infrastructure and resources, they also come with risks. Decisions affecting your power supply may be made hundreds of miles away, and when other regions struggle, the consequences are shared across the network.

For Missouri electric cooperatives like Platte-Clay, we’ve made the strategic choice to remain independent of RTOs. Our generation provider, Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) was formed in 1961 in Springfield, Mo., to provide reliable and affordable electricity for Missouri co-ops. Being independent means we have direct control over our power supply, from forecasting demand to managing local generation assets. We’re not waiting in line behind neighboring states or utilities when energy demand spikes.

Our central location in the Midwest also puts us in an advantageous position. AECI is uniquely interconnected with multiple RTO’s, and this provides them with great flexibility to purchase or sell power based on market conditions.

Independence gives us a critical edge in reliability. AECI can make decisions based on our members’ needs. Being locally managed allows us to be nimble and responsive. When severe weather looms, we can act immediately and adjust operations, calling on reserves, and communicating directly with our members. The ability to prioritize our own communities is not just an operational advantage, it’s a fundamental part of our mission.

The need for resilience is growing. Energy demand is rising fast, and extreme weather is becoming more common. AECI’s load growth has risen 16% over the last 22 years, and they’ve recorded record, or near record, peak member-load events four of the last five winters. As a result, AECI’s board of directors has authorized the addition of 1,350 megawatts of new generation capacity to meet growing demand and ensure long-term reliability.

Two new natural gas peaking plants, one in Ripley, Oklahoma, and one right here in Turney, Missouri, are currently under construction. These projects, set to come online in 2026 and 2027, represent a $1.2 billion investment in your energy future. Obviously, these investments will continue to place upward pressure on our rates. But the cost of inaction would be far higher. While others are reacting to crisis, we’re taking responsible action now to protect our members from similar risks.

As a member-owned cooperative, every decision we make is rooted in our commitment to serve you with affordable, reliable, and locally controlled electricity. The recent blackouts in Spain and Louisiana serve as a powerful reminder that resilience comes not from being bigger, but from being better prepared.

We’ll continue to monitor national and global developments. But more importantly, we’ll keep investing right here at home. When it comes to powering our communities, local control is local strength.

NERC: Demand Growth, Shifting Resource Mix Loom Over Summer Reliability

By Molly Christian, Staff Writer
National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA)

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. is warning of potential energy supply shortfalls in parts of the U.S. this summer during periods of extreme weather amid climbing electricity demand and a changing resource mix.

The warnings were part of NERC’s 2025 Summer Reliability Assessment released May 14, which evaluated generation resource and transmission system adequacy for June through September.

All areas studied by NERC are expected to have adequate resources for normal summer peak load conditions. But several regions are at risk of electricity supply shortfalls during periods of more extreme summer weather, including New England, parts of the Midwest, the Southwest Power Pool and Texas.

According to the report, weather services anticipate above average temperatures across much of North America this summer and below-average precipitation in the Northwest and Midwest.

Total peak electricity demand for the areas that NERC assesses has risen by over 10 gigawatts since last summer, more than double the previous year-to-year increase. At the same time, more than 7.4 GW of generator capacity has retired or become inactive for the upcoming summer, most of it natural gas- and coal-fired generation.

Those losses are offset by over 40 GW in on-peak capacity gains from new solar, battery and wind installations, but “operators in many parts of the [bulk power system] face challenges in meeting higher demand this summer with a resource mix that, in general, has less flexibility and more variability,” the report noted.

“As demand expands, grid planners and operators are doing more than ever, but they’re doing it under tighter reserve margins,” said John Moura, NERC’s director of reliability assessment and performance analysis, in a May 14 webinar on the report. “While we’re adding a lot more resources—solar, batteries and other emerging technologies—the pace and performance of that buildout doesn’t yet fully align with the reliability needs of a rapidly electrifying economy.”

To address potential electricity supply shortfalls, NERC encouraged transmission owners and relevant grid authorities to review their operating plans and operate conservatively to ensure adequate resource availability.

The report also urged grid operators to be prepared for the potential of inverter-based resources including solar photovoltaic and battery capacity to unexpectedly trip during grid disturbances, such as short circuits or line breaks.

“Once again, NERC identifies continuing threats to the electric grid that leave a large area of the country vulnerable to power supply disruptions during periods of extreme summer conditions,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson. “Demand is surging, supply isn’t keeping up, and the resources being added to the grid aren’t as flexible and reliable as the always available generation they’re replacing.

“Now more than ever, we need smart energy policies that prioritize reliability, affordability and put American consumers first. We look forward to continuing to work with policymakers to meet this challenge and keep the lights on across the nation.”

Mid-Atlantic grid operator PJM Interconnection has also warned of potential reliability issues in the event of higher-thannormal demand scenarios this summer. On May 9, PJM said it may need to reduce loads in the region by relying on contracted demand response resources if demand hits record levels. Demand response pays customers to reduce their electricity use in times of system emergencies.

PJM’s summer assessment is the grid operator’s first where it sees available generation capacity in the area possibly falling short of required reserves in an extreme planning scenario.

NERC said its summer findings are consistent with risks and issues that it observed in its latest Long-Term Reliability Assessment, released in December.

That report said that over half of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls in the next 10 years amid surging electricity demand and thermal plant retirements. NERC projected that capacity additions to the bulk power system in the next decade will fall short of demand growth.

How Extreme Temperatures Impact Reliability

When outdoor temperatures soar, our electricity use increases. That’s because our air conditioners are running longer and more often to counteract sweltering outdoor temperatures. Factor in that we all tend to use electricity at the same times—in the morning and early evenings—and that equals a lot of strain on our electric grid.

At Platte-Clay Electric, we work closely with NW Electric, our transmission partner, and Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI), our generation partner, in resource and infrastructure planning to ensure you have the power you need whenever you flip a switch.

In prolonged extreme temperature events, it is possible for electricity demand to near peak system supply levels. If this happens, which is rare, grid operators can issue advisory alerts to distribution cooperatives calling on consumers to help reduce their energy use to relieve pressure on the grid.

We work proactively with our generation and transmission partners to create a resilient portion of the grid and ensure electric reliability in extreme weather, including regular system maintenance, grid modernization efforts and disaster response planning; but it takes everyone to keep the grid reliable.

To help keep the air conditioner running for you, your family and neighbors, here are a few things you can do to relieve pressure on the grid during times of extreme summer heat:

– Select the highest comfortable thermostat setting and turn it up several degrees whenever possible. Your cooling system must run longer to make up the difference between the thermostat temp and the outdoor temp.

PRO TIP: Seal air leaks around windows and exterior doors with caulk and weatherstripping. Air leaks and drafts force your cooling system to work harder than necessary.

– Run major appliances such as dishwashers, ovens and dryers during off-peak hours when the demand for electricity is lower.

PRO TIP: Start the dishwasher before you go to bed.

– Use ceiling fans to make yourself feel a few degrees cooler. Remember, ceiling fans cool people (not rooms), so turn them off in unoccupied rooms.

PRO TIP: During summer months, set ceiling fan blades to rotate counterclockwise, which pushes cool air down for a windchill effect.

– Close blinds, curtains and shades during the hottest part of the day to block unwanted heat gain from sunlight.

PRO TIP: Consider blackout curtains with thermal backing or reflective lining to block heat and light.

– Use smaller appliances, such as slow cookers, air fryers and toaster ovens to cook meals.

PRO TIP: Studies have shown that air fryers use about half the amount of electricity than a full-sized oven. Air fryers are smaller and use focused heat, which results in faster cooking times, less heat output and lower energy use.

As we face the upcoming soaring summer temperatures, understanding the impact on energy demand is crucial for maintaining a reliable power supply. By adopting energy conservation practices during periods of extreme heat, not only can you save money on your electric bills, but you can also contribute to the resilience of the grid, keeping our local community cool and connected.

PCEC is looking for members interested in participating in a co-op focus group. Participants meet a few times a year and have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback to staff members while learning more about the cooperative operations. Visit www.PCEC.coop/FocusGroup to apply today.