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Posted on 07/27/2026 9:38:38 PM PDT by Angelino97
Blackout fears are growing for 20 million Americans as extreme heat pushes the power grid toward its limits.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) on Sunday authorized the operator serving parts of 17 states to activate idle power sources in an effort to keep the lights on.
The move allows backup plants that are normally switched off to generate extra electricity if surging demand threatens to overwhelm the grid.
The emergency order covers Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Montana. It also includes Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
The move gives Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which oversees the central US grid, permission to deploy backup generators if electricity supplies become strained.
It is the final step before a Level 3 Energy Emergency Alert, which could trigger rolling blackouts to prevent a wider collapse.
The order will remain in effect through August 3 to 'mitigate the risk of blackouts,' according to the DOE.
It comes as 40 million Americans face extreme heat warnings, with soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity driving up demand for air conditioning.
Former DOE official Kerry Duggan said extreme heat is increasingly becoming an energy challenge rather than a simple weather event.
'As we experience more frequent and longer-lasting heat waves, our ability to keep homes, businesses and critical facilities cool depends on having a reliable and resilient electric grid,' Duggan said.
National Weather Service's Monday alerts across much of that region forecast temperatures or heat indexes above 100F, with readings reaching 113F to 115F in parts of Louisiana.
Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska were also facing dangerous conditions approaching 110F.
Meteorologists have blamed the brutal conditions on another heat dome, which traps hot air over a region and causes temperatures to climb for days.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.com ...
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So... getting rid of coal and nuclear for wind and solar WASN’T a good idea after all?
No sh*t...
The “Daily Fail” is hyping this a bit (for clicks)...the official SPP website sounds/looks more calm about the current situation:
https://spp.org/markets-operations/current-grid-conditions/
California is not that hot at the current time...the end of the week is a different matter.
Current reserves in CA are OK:
https://www.caiso.com/todays-outlook
(Scroll down and look for “Net demand trend”...when the purple line meets the green line the fun rolling blackouts start).
California usually doesn’t have issues until September/October if those months are hotter than normal...the earlier sunsets as time goes on means CA’s huge solar capacity rolls off too soon in the afternoon while everyone has their A/C still on. Tesla “MegaBatteries” are aiding the problem, but they have a bad habit of catching on fire.
That comment makes me smile. Wyoming has windmills all along I-80. So what’s the effing problem?
97-100 degrees highs on the Colorado Front Range today.
Electricity is working fine. This won’t last long anyway.
Current outdoor temp is 64 degrees (F). Indoor is 71 (F).
I really hope that someone, anyone, will approve nuclear power for us. All of us.
And coal and natural gas and oil. We can absolutely be independent from the entire planet. And sell it to them.
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming
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Do any of those states have operating nuclear power?
Arizona has the “Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station”:
(That nuke plant exports a lot of power to California, etc..)
Weird that states have to get permission from the Feds to turn on power plants. I bet they don’t have this problem in China...
Iowa used to have one, but it shut down earlier than planned, around 2020 I think, due to derecho damage to its cooling towers. It might be started up again in 3-4 years in a deal with Google to power AI and cloud servers.
Or it might not.
About 2/3s of Iowa’s power comes from wind.
Nebraska. Last I knew they have Fort Calhoun and Cooper Station.
And they have unlimited coal reserves.
Xcel Energy finishes third phase of Sherco Solar project in MinnesotaI'll bet they are wishing that had that old "dirty" coal plant at Sherco still operating today.
By Dave KovaleskiXcel Energy completed the third phase of the Sherco Solar project, which involves the transformation of a retiring coal plant into a major renewable energy hub.
Sherco Solar is the largest solar facility in Minnesota and one of the biggest in the Upper Midwest. It is located near the existing Sherco plant in Becker, Minn. With the first three phases online, the site now produces 710 megawatts of electricity powered by 1.7 million solar panels.
“Completing Sherco Solar Phase 3 is a significant step in our efforts to deliver the reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy our customers expect,” Bria Shea, president of Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, said. “This project demonstrates how we can build upon existing infrastructure and workforce expertise to meet growing energy needs, create economic opportunities for Minnesota communities and continue advancing our renewable energy transition.”
“...Arizona has the “Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station”
that exports a lot of power to California...”
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It is outrageous that Arizona would black-out their own citizens
to supply power to California.
Our neighbors in Northern California just put a big battery bank on the side of their house. They were showing me their app a couple days ago during pizza dinner. The batteries were providing all their power in the evening.
They didn’t buy a Tesla PowerWall, though. They got a cheaper Chinese knock-off. Hope that isn’t a penny-wise, pound-foolish decision they made.
There were plans to shut the plants at Jim Bridger down as well as Colorado’s three plants at Craig station. I think Trump has delayed that crap.
Fort Calhoun has shut down,
Cooper Station is still operating.
Arkansas has Arkansas nuclear one.
Sad about Ft Calhoun. I worked a Cooper during a refuel cycle and a while longer, then moved to coal fired. Thanks for the heads up. Be safe
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