Should New York Worry? Nearly 50% Of America Could Face Power Shortage

Over 50 percent of the United States and parts of Canada, may run out of electricity this winter.

That's according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.

Nearly 50 Percent Of America Could Face Power Shortage

"A large portion of the North American bulk power system is at risk of insufficient electricity supply during peak winter conditions. Prolonged, wide-area cold snaps threaten the reliable performance of bulk power system generation and the availability of the natural gas used by many generators. When electricity supply becomes constrained, system operators can face a simultaneous, sharp increase in demand as electric heating systems consume more power in cold temperatures," the NERC stated.

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The North American Electric Reliability Corp believes around 180 million people could deal with an electric shortage during extremely cold weather because of the lack of natural gas infrastructure.

“Extreme cold weather events can cause electricity demand to deviate significantly from historical forecasts. As electric heat pumps and heating systems become more prevalent, their combined effect on system demand is even more pronounced,” NERC’s manager of Reliability Mark Olson said. "The growth of intermittent resources, like solar generation, on the distribution system significantly increases load forecasting complexity and uncertainty."

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Two-Thirds Of North America At Risk

Experts believe that much of North America is "again at an elevated risk of having insufficient energy supplies" to meet demand. Two-thirds of North America is at risk, officials say.

"In these areas, although resources are adequate for normal winter peak demand, any prolonged, wide-area cold snaps will be challenging due to generator outages and fuel vulnerability, extreme levels of electricity demand, difficulties
in accurate forecasting and the risk of firm electricity transfer curtailments," the NERC stated.

Winter Preparedness Checklist For New York State Residents

Thankfully, for New York State residents, New York State is not included, according to the NERC.

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Still, New York State officials released several tips you should follow to be prepared for winter. See the checklist below: