May 27, 2002—The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) recently issued its 2002 summer energy assessment, which expects energy generating resources in North America to adequately meet projected demand this summer.
According to NERC, capacity margins have increased substantially in several areas of North America during the past year, and transmission systems are expected to perform reliably, although transmission congestion will occur again. The report also notes that fuel supplies, inventories, and deliveries are expected to be adequate.
The assessment points out two areas of concern: southwestern Connecticut, which faces local transmission limitations, and southern Nevada, which faces tight capacity margins. These issues increase the susceptibility of these areas to reliability problems associated with any delays in the installation of new resources, lower than expected generating unit availability, or extreme weather. To download a PDF version of the report, visit NERC’s Web site.
