US Midwest grid operator issues emergency energy alert
XLU•Midwest grid operator issues emergency alert amid outages and heat
A major U.S. electric grid operator for the Midwest issued an emergency energy alert on Wednesday after power plant outages, sweltering temperatures and heavy air-conditioning demand strained the system.
Midcontinent Independent System Operator's emergency covers a large section of a territory that includes 15 U.S. states in the Midwest and the South. The emergency is in effect until 8 p.m. EDT, MISO reported on its website.
MISO said the alert was prompted by power plant outages, above-normal temperatures and higher-than-expected electricity demand.
Spot wholesale electricity prices spiked to more than $900 per megawatt hour (MWh) at MISO's Michigan hub, and hovered around $600 per MWh at the Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota hubs, according to the grid operator's pricing data.
