CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After last year's cold snap, resulting in rolling blackouts throughout the state on Christmas Eve, officials expressed concern it might happen again.
Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, said, "What we're concerned about is extreme cold, demand for electricity goes up. Demand for natural gas for heating homes goes up. And there's not enough gas to run the power plants that are fueled by that."
Matheson said that risk exists again for any cold snap.
The former U.S. Congressman said the power grid is, more than anything, temperature driven.
"Why it's getting a little more risky every year is, we're using more and more electricity. Demand is growing," Matheson said, adding, "Think of all the electrical devices used. Now we plug into everything."
Matheson said, unfortunately, nothing's changed since last year's cold snap.
"What's making it just a little bit worse, as demand has grown from last winter, this winter, the projected amount of electricity we would use, has gone up," Matheson said. "The risk is just as great as last year, if not a little more. And it's going to take some time for the utility industry to be able to invest in new power plants to help make this go."
He said there should be a public policy to speed up the permitting process for new infrastructure.
"Because that's what it's going to take is more electric generating capacity, more electric transmission lines, more gas pipelines. We have the technology, it's just, can we deploy it?"
Matheson explained renewable energy can be a contributing source but not to be solely relied on.
"There's no question that has a value, but it has a limitation because the sun doesn't shine 24 hours a day, and the wind doesn't blow 24 hours a day. So as part of a portfolio, renewable energy can be a contributor. But what you really need to make sure you have is enough, what I call, 'always available generation'. And the electric side, which may be nuclear or coal or natural gas, that's what it's going to take."
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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