NYISO says technology is rapidly changing electric grid
The electrical grid as we know it is no longer, thanks to the rapidly changing role of technology in our lives.
Officials at the New York Independent System Operator, who decades ago were focused almost exclusively on keeping the lights on, are now facing dramatic changes and emerging pressures on multiple fronts due to rapid technological changes and public policy initiatives that are reshaping how the world generates and consumes electricity.
The NYISO has been embracing the challenges, according to its annual Power Trends Report released Thursday by the organization, which monitors the state’s high-voltage electric grid and wholesale electric markets from its North Greenbush headquarters.
For instance, while overall statewide demand for electricity is falling, government policies are resulting in more renewable energy sources like wind and solar farms, along with energy storage like large batteries.
Managing these new sources is much more complex due to the variability of the weather. Because of this, the NYISO has to hire full-time meteorologists in order to predict how much electricity will be generated on an hourly basis.
Other public policy initiatives are also changing how electricity is valued, which is why the NYISO is working on so-called “carbon pricing” in which the wholesale markets would price electricity to further carbon-reduction policies.
