Energy Secretary: Grid Is “Stressed”
As air conditioners around the state do battle with the spate of scalding outdoor temperatures, there have been spotty electrical outages and strains on the grid, though the demand “under forecast,” Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan said Friday.
“It’s obviously, you know, stressed,” Sullivan said of the electrical grid. He said, “We’ve been in constant contact with all the utilities. I think you’ve seen across the state a couple of spot outages that have been stress-related.”
Sullivan credited energy efficiency measures for the electrical use running under forecast. Independent System Operator of New England (ISO New England), which manages the power supply, has asked customers to conserve energy between noon and 8 p.m. The Cape Cod Times reported Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth had to power down to 85 percent of capacity because the saltwater from Cape Cod Bay that cools that plant was warmer than 75 degrees. Sullivan said ISO New England is monitoring Pilgrim.
“ISO New England was not concerned about that, but certainly the water temperatures are right at their maximums under their licenses,” Sullivan said. He said, “Everyone’s watching them closely but you know as we stand here at noontime, it is still operating under the parameters.”
Emerging from a Cabinet meeting midday Friday, Sullivan said he is looking forward to cooler weather.
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