New England could face a blackout this winter

New England could face a blackout this winter if severe cold snaps and fuel supply disruptions strike at the same time, warns the region s grid operator.

None Even in the Metaverse, Not All Identities Are Created Equal

None of the Hot New Trends For Hedge Funds is finally female Founders

None Meet the New Climate Refugee in Town: Coyotes

Although power plants and the transmission system in the area are well prepared for a mild winter, colder than average weather could threaten electricity supplies - particularly if supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas have been disrupted, according to ISO New England Inc., which runs the region's power grid.

In a statement, ISO s Chief Executive Officer Gordon van Welie said the region would be in a precarious position if an extended cold snap were to develop and these fuels were not available.

New England's electricity supplies were stretched thinner than many residents realized during the last harsh winter four years ago, he told reporters at a press conference. After a cold snap last February plunged Texas into darkness and killed more than 200 people, van Welie said his company wanted customers to be prepared in case they want to conserve power and gas.

He said during the conference that we were not trying to cause alarm, but we need people to understand how vulnerable the system can be under the right set of conditions. What happened in Texas changed everything. We haven't rested well since February. New England relies on LNG and oil to keep power plants running if natural gas supplies grow tight, something that happens often during cold snaps. The energy crisis that gripped Europe and Asia has made prices for those fuels soaring and made LNG imports hard to obtain.

The operator warned of the possibility of blackouts if fuel supplies are disrupted and the region experiences temperatures similar to the winter of 2013 and 2014, which brought several severe cold snaps. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a warmer than average winter for the region. If that forecast proves accurate, grid operators don't anticipate the need for emergency measures, including outages. None The Fall of a Russian Cyberexecutive Who Went Against the Kremlin