The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) stated on Thursday that the adoption of electric vehicles, and the growth of cryptocurrency mining pose new threats to U.S. electricity reliability in the coming years.
According to NERC, the Southwest, Northwest, Texas, and New England have sufficient energy and capacity for typical periods but may experience shortages in extreme conditions. California and the Midwest, on the other hand, are at high risk of experiencing electricity shortages from 2023 to 2027.
According to NERC's long-term reliability assessment, as power plant closures outstrip the replacement of new capacity and severe weather worsens, more EVs will be driven by government initiatives like the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and bitcoin mining, which consumes a lot of energy.
"These new electric uses can significantly alter the nature of how the system is going to be operated and what it needs to be able to provide," Mark Olson, manager for reliability assessments at NERC, said on a webcast.
According to NERC, electrical load from plug-in EVs could raise demand by 5,500 megawatts at midnight and 4,600 megawatts at 10 a.m. by 2030, citing California Energy Commission estimates. on a regular weekday, an increase of 25% and 20%, respectively, over present levels.
Non-EV energy transition strategies, which rely primarily on the electrification of companies and homes, will also increase grid strains, according to NERC. This rise is due to the fact that the closure of coal, nuclear, and natural gas power facilities is outpacing the replacement of new power generation capacity.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced earlier this month a voluntary power reduction scheme for customers, including bitcoin mining operations.
Supercomputer-powered crypto miners' prospective expansion might potentially "have a significant effect on demand and resource projections," according to NERC.
Through 2027, more than 88 gigawatts of fossil fuel and nuclear-generating capacity are scheduled for retirement, with an additional 22 gigawatts possibly being reduced, according to NERC.
Since NERC's last report, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's power reserves gap has widened by a year, and the Midwest now faces a summer capacity shortage of 1,300 megawatts.
Shifting away from traditional energy sources without rapid replacement of generation, including wind and solar power, has left significant parts of the country exposed to disruptions, according to NERC.
