Grid demand will also increase as a result of non-EV energy transition strategies, which mainly rely on electrifying homes and businesses, according to NERC.
According to a statement made on Thursday by the North American Electric Stability Corporation, the adoption of electric vehicles and the growth of bitcoin mining present new problems for the reliability of U.S. electricity in the future years.
According to NERC’s long-term reliability assessment, as power plant closures outpace the replacement of new capacity and severe weather intensifies, more electric vehicles (EVs), encouraged by government policies like the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, and energy-intensive bitcoin mining will increase demand for the country’s vulnerable electrical grid.
The reliability of the U.S. power grids is the responsibility of NERC, which is led by Mark Olson, manager for reliability assessments. “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,” Olson said in a webcast.
According to NERC, electrical load from plug-in EVs by 2030 could result in an increase of 5,500 megawatts of demand at midnight and 4,600 megawatts of demand at 10 a.m. on an average weekday, a jump of 25% and 20%, respectively, from current levels. NERC cited estimates from the California Energy Commission.
Supercomputer-powered bitcoin miners’ prospective expansion might potentially “significantly affect demand and resource predictions,” according to NERC. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced earlier this month a voluntary power reduction scheme for customers, including bitcoin mining operations.
Grid demand will also increase as a result of non-EV energy transition strategies, which mainly rely on electrifying homes and businesses, according to NERC. The closure of coal, nuclear, and natural gas power facilities has increased, while the addition of new power production capacity has lagged.
According to NERC, the country’s wide expanses have become vulnerable to power outages as a result of the switch from traditional energy sources without the prompt replacement of generation, including electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar.
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.
According to NERC, the Southwest, Northwest, Texas, and New England have sufficient energy and capacity for typical periods but may experience shortages in extreme situations. California and the Midwest, on the other hand, are at high risk of experiencing electricity shortages from 2023 to 2027.
