Series of Power Outages Underscores NERC’s Elevated Risk Levels for Summer 2023

A series of power outages across the South caused by various storms continues to emphasize the importance of power resilience to utilities providing critical services to citizens.

With NERC’s 2023 Summer Reliability Assessment labeling the majority of the continental U.S. at an elevated risk for power shortages due to increased demand and challenges related to the transition to clean energy sources, grid instability is expected into August and beyond. Since many lifeline sectors, including water and wastewater, depend on a stable source of power, members are urged to review any policies on backup power to ensure they meet current needs. Members are also encouraged to review the EPA’s water-sector specific guide on power resilience and CISA’s best practices guide for power resilience in critical infrastructure. Inspiration may also be found in some utilities’ prototyping of microgrids, in order to resist disruptions from wildfires and other natural disasters. Read more at NERC.