The Trump Administration is tapping into an abundant supply of unused backup generation to maintain affordable, reliable, and secure power for hardworking American families and businesses.”

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright

The U.S. Department of Energy has issued an emergency order covering Minnesota and 16 other states as extreme heat increases electricity demand and raises concerns about the reliability of the regional power grid.
The order, issued Sunday, July 26, allows the Southwest Power Pool to direct certain electric generation units to operate when needed. It also gives the regional grid operator permission to activate backup generation resources as a last resort before declaring the most serious level of energy emergency.
The order will remain in effect through 11:59 p.m. Central time Monday, Aug. 3.
Federal officials said the action is intended to reduce the risk of blackouts while high temperatures and severe humidity place additional pressure on the electrical system.
Minnesota is among the 17 states included in the order, along with Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
The affected region stretches from North Dakota to Louisiana and includes about 20 million people.
The Southwest Power Pool is a regional transmission organization responsible for coordinating the movement of electricity across much of the central United States. The organization requested the emergency order from the Department of Energy.
The order allows the Southwest Power Pool to dispatch specified generation units and direct them to operate as needed to maintain reliability. It also allows the organization to use backup power generation before reaching a Level 3 Energy Emergency Alert, or while such an alert is in effect.
A Level 3 alert is one of the most serious steps a regional power operator can take. It signals that available electricity supplies may not be enough to meet demand. Grid operators may then take additional steps to reduce electricity use, which can include controlled, temporary outages intended to prevent a larger failure of the system.
The emergency order does not mean rolling blackouts have begun, or that outages are certain. Instead, the action gives grid operators additional options if demand rises beyond the amount of electricity normally available.
“The Trump Administration is tapping into an abundant supply of unused backup generation to maintain affordable, reliable, and secure power for hardworking American families and businesses,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said.
Wright said the administration is using available resources to keep homes and businesses supplied with electricity during the heat emergency.
The Department of Energy estimates that more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation remains available nationwide. A gigawatt is a measure of electric power commonly used when describing the output of power plants or the needs of large electrical systems.
The order comes during a widespread period of dangerous heat across the central and southern United States. At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings during the weekend as high temperatures and oppressive humidity affected a large portion of the country for a second consecutive day.
Heat index readings above 100 degrees stretched from Minnesota south to Mississippi. Extreme heat also extended west into portions of California and Nevada, with parts of the Southwest expected to experience high temperatures near 120 degrees.
The heat index measures how hot conditions feel when humidity is combined with the actual air temperature. High humidity makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself through sweating, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Meteorologists said the prolonged stretch of extreme heat was caused by another heat dome. The weather pattern develops when atmospheric conditions trap hot air over a large area, allowing high temperatures to build and remain in place for several days. The pattern can also keep overnight temperatures unusually warm, limiting the amount of relief available after sunset.
The extreme heat creates challenges for both public health and the electrical system. As temperatures rise, homes, businesses and public facilities use more electricity to operate air conditioners, fans, refrigeration equipment and cooling systems.
Electricity demand can climb quickly during the afternoon and evening, particularly when extreme heat covers several states at the same time. That demand can place additional stress on power plants and transmission lines, especially when neighboring regions are also experiencing hot weather.
Extreme heat has increasingly become an energy concern because homes, businesses and critical facilities depend on reliable electricity to operate air conditioning and other cooling systems. The longer high temperatures remain in place, the greater the demand placed on the regional grid.
Maintaining electricity service is especially important during dangerous heat because air conditioning can be a critical safety need for older adults, young children, people with medical conditions and others who may be especially vulnerable to high temperatures.
Power interruptions can also affect hospitals, emergency services, water systems, businesses and other essential facilities, although many critical operations maintain emergency backup systems.
The Department of Energy said power outages cost Americans an estimated $44 billion each year, according to information from its national laboratories. Officials said the emergency order is intended to lower the possibility of outages within the Southwest Power Pool region.
For Minnesota residents, the order will mostly operate behind the scenes. Grid operators and electric utilities will determine when additional generation is needed and whether customers should be asked to reduce electricity use.
Residents should continue to watch for notices from their local utility, particularly during the hottest hours of the day. Any requests to conserve electricity, reports of outages or instructions related to local service would generally come from the company providing power to a home or business.
The federal order gives utilities and regional grid managers another source of electricity as air conditioners continue working against the heat.