Hurricane Laura’s impending landfall along the Gulf Coast has MISO, Entergy, SPP and ERCOT bracing for grid impacts.
The intensifying Category 4 storm (as of press time) will unleash torrential rain, coastal flooding and fierce winds on southwest Louisiana and southeastern Texas tonight and tomorrow.
“MISO expects transmission and generation facilities along the path of the hurricane to be unavailable due to damage caused by high winds and flooding. MISO is working with its members to estimate the extent of the impacts, including loss of load, generation and transmission and communication systems,” spokesperson Allison Bermudez told RTO Insider ahead of the storm’s landfall tonight.
MISO on Tuesday declared a severe weather alert and conservative operations in effect for Wednesday and Thursday for portions of its Texas and Louisiana footprint. It asked members to suspend all transmission and generation maintenance.
The RTO also warned of fuel supply limitations, saying Laura could inflict major damage on gas refineries near the Gulf. It asked generators to report any fuel supply issues as soon as possible.
SPP likewise declared conservative operations in the Southwestern Electric Power Co. portion of its balancing authority Wednesday through Friday. With conservative operations, the grid operator can expand unit commitment times and “enforce other reliability safeguards as needed.”
Bermudez said that before MISO made the conservative operations declaration, it was working with members to “maximize availability of generation and transmission assets necessary to ensure grid reliability.” She said the RTO is closely monitoring load in western Louisiana and eastern Texas.
“MISO control room teams are well trained to handle extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Laura, and remain committed to reliable grid operations,” she said. “MISO is taking extensive measures to ensure grid and market operating systems are secure and protected throughout the Hurricane Laura event.”
Entergy said it was readying a nearly 7,400-strong storm crew to respond in the Texas and Louisiana portions of its territory. The utility said it enacted flood protection for its facilities and equipment that could experience high water and secured the use of high-water vehicles, drones, helicopters and air boats for restoration efforts.
The utility also warned that restoration times might be longer than normal because of COVID-19 pandemic safety precautions. It said its field restoration crews will adhere to social distancing.
Entergy said its system was largely spared by Tropical Storm Marco passing through its territory on Monday, as the storm had significantly weakened by then.
“While we were fortunate that Marco had limited impact on our systems, customers should keep their guard up as Hurricane Laura, which is predicted to be much stronger, is on the way,” said Entergy Vice President of Utility Distribution Operations Eli Viamontes. “Please remain storm-ready and take this as seriously as we are. This is expected to be a major hurricane and should be treated as such.”
ERCOT Senior Meteorologist Chris Coleman predicted “devastating” 10- to 15-foot storm surges in some coastal areas of Texas and sustained winds of at least 130 mph.
“This is a very large, powerful hurricane — by far the worst thus far in the 2020 hurricane season,” he warned.
