On January 17, the PJM Interconnection announced it has issued a new Cold Weather Alert for its Western Region from January 19-22.

PJM normally issues this alert when actual temperatures are projected to fall near or below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, PJM can also issue this alert if high winds are forecasted or if a portion of gas-fired units may be unavailable due to potential gas procurement issues.

The alert keeps all affected system personnel aware of the forecasted and/or actual operating status of PJM and allows them time to prepare as needed.

Alerts do not indicate that emergency actions are currently needed.

The PJM Western Region in Pennsylvania includes--

-- Duquesne Light Company

-- FirstEnergy South – former Allegheny Power Systems (West Penn Power, Mon Power, Potomac Edison)

-- FirstEnergy West – former American Transmission Systems, Inc. (Penn Power, Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison)

Click Here for the complete announcement.

PJM’s Conservative Operations notice was extended through January 17 to maintain electric grid reliability as a result of winter weather impacts and pipeline fuel restrictions reported by natural gas pipeline operators.

When Conservative Operations is declared, PJM Dispatch reviews and considers recalling or canceling noncritical planned generation and transmission maintenance outages and may reduce transfers of electricity into, across or through the PJM system.

Although information is preliminary, natural gas supply and transportation sectors have performed as expected, meaning any gas generation outages are within what is expected and planned for in frigid temperatures.

PJM will continue to monitor the progression of the cold weather eastward and determine whether additional Cold Weather Alerts are appropriate.

The PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia, including Pennsylvania.

NewsClips:

-- Reuters: Severe US Cold Snap Prompts Peak Power, Natural Gas Demand, Drop In Gas Production  [Freeze-offs Caused 17 Billion Cubic Foot Reduction In Gas Production; 19.6 Bcfd Reduction During Winter Storm Elliott; 20.4 Bcfd Reduction In Feb. 2021]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: US Natural Gas Prices Make Huge Jump On Deep Freeze; Some Shale Gas Prices Increase By 400%

-- Bloomberg: US Deep Freeze Force LNG Natural Gas Exporters To Cancel, Delay Shipments

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Supplies Drop Due To Frozen Wells, Record Demand Forecast Due To Extreme Cold

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Demand Eyes Record As Arctic Blast Dents Output

-- Bloomberg: US Oil Production Falls By 10 Million Barrels Amid Cold Snap

-- Reuters: North Dakota Oil Output Falls By Half Due To Extreme Cold

-- Reuters: OPEC May Need Further Crude Oil Supply Curbs To Balance Market

-- Reuters: US LNG Natural Gas Feedgas To LNG Plants Drops To One-Year Low By Arctic Freeze, Problems At Freeport LNG Plant In Texas

-- Bloomberg: US Deep Freeze Force LNG Natural Gas Exporters To Cancel, Delay Shipments

-- Financial Times: The LNG Natural Gas Glut Will Chill The Gas Ambitions Of Oil Majors

-- Bloomberg: EU Sees Natural Gas Storage Levels More Than Half Full By Winter’s End

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Supplies Drop Due To Frozen Wells, Record Demand Forecast Due To Extreme Cold  [Again]

-- Bloomberg: LNG Natural Gas Tankers Divert From Red Sea As Qatar Warns Of Escalation

-- Financial Times: The LNG Natural Gas Glut Will Chill The Gas Ambitions Of Oil Majors

-- Financial Times: US Energy Security Role In Question As Natural Gas Exports Receive New Scrutiny

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EPA Announces It Will Set Fee On Waste Natural Gas Emissions

-- Financial Times: Petrochemical Glut Makes New Plastic Cheaper Than Recycled

Related Articles - Grid Reliability:

-- PUC Vice Chairman [Now Chair]: During Winter Storm Elliot We Learned Natural Gas Can Be An Intermittent Generator Of Electricity Just Like Renewables  [PaEN]

-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, NERC Final Report On Winter Storm Elliott Says Legislative Action Needed To Establish Reliability Rules For Natural Gas Infrastructure  [PaEN]

-- New NERC Winter Reliability Assessment Finds Elevated Risk Of Blackouts In Extreme Weather Conditions; Natural Gas Supplies Still Vulnerable To These Conditions With 'Devastating Consequences'  [PaEN]

-- S&P Global: Federal Inquiry Finds Same 3 Causes Driving U.S. Generate Outages In Extreme Cold - Reliability Of Natural Gas System Remains A Concern  [PaEN]

-- PJM Urges United Action To Sustain Grid Reliability Through The Energy Transition, Avoid Unreliability Issues Of Natural Gas, Other Generators [PaEN]

-- FERC Approves PJM $1.25 Billion Winter Storm Elliot Settlement With Non-Performing Natural Gas, Other Electricity Generators [PaEN]

-- PJM Makes Multiple Reliability-Focused Improvements To Prepare For Winter To Deal With 70% Natural Gas, Other Generator Nonperformance In 2022 [PaEN]

-- House Hearing: Shapiro Administration Supports Expanding Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards; Renewables Lower Energy Costs; Increase Grid Reliability; More Work Needed To Improve Gas Reliability [PaEN]

-- PUC Winter Natural Gas Reliability Overview Reports Now Available; But Do Not Address Winter Storm Elliot Issues  [PaEN]

Weekly PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 13 to 19;  9 Abandoned Conventional Wells; 4 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells; Freshwater Pipeline Break; Ice & Snow  [PaEN]

-- 4 Months Later, XTO Energy, Inc. Said They Will Plug 4 Shale Gas Wells DEP Found To Be Abandoned And Not Plugged In September  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 20  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 41 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 20 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

2023 Oil & Gas Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Issued At Least 512 Violations To 95 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2023; 10 Shale Gas Operators Were Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN]

-- 2023 Shale Gas Operator Compliance Report: 1,310 Violations; Explosions; Pad Fire, Evacuation; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack-Outs; Polluting Water Supply; Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home; More  [PaEN]

-- PA Environment Digest: Articles On Oil & Gas Facility Impacts

Related Articles This Week:

-- Senate Environmental Committee To Hold 2nd Joint Hearing With Ohio Legislature On Electric Grid Reliability Feb. 1;  Will It Address Natural Gas Infrastructure Vulnerabilities?  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Issues New Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 19-22  [PaEN]

-- DEP Releases Final Guidance On Environmental Considerations In Using Trenchless Technology To Construct Natural Gas, Other Pipelines  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets Feb. 1 Hearing On Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 8 Related To Shale Gas Development; And On Cooperative Fish Nursery General Permit  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 25 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In Bradford, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming Counties  [PaEN]

-- CFA Approves $27 Million In Watershed, Recreation Projects Funded By Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees; Fees Dropping $104 Million In 2024; New Grant Round Opening  [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts In-Person, Virtual Q/A Sessions On Applying For $5 Million Shell Petrochemical Plant Mitigation Grants In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- Health Effects Institute Hosts Annual Conference April 28-30 In Philadelphia; Call For Abstracts  [PaEN]

-- PA Cong. Thompson, Deluzio Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Provide Flexibility To States Implementing The Federal Conventional Orphan Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program  [PaEN]

[Posted: January 18, 2024]

1/22/2024