(Des Moines, IA) — For the first time in five years the electric grid region that includes Iowa is not at higher risk of brownouts or blackouts during extreme peak demand, like the heatwave we’re having this week.
John Moura, with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, said their Summer Reliability Assessment for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shows the MISO region power grid, which includes Iowa, has a projected 3.8-percent surplus of power during extreme demands this year. The region has had a power deficit over the past few years.
Moura says power plants are now using giant lithium batteries on heavy-demand days when solar and wind are not generating enough.
He says all electric regions are working to develop additional backup power sources to meet future extreme demand days.
