The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) released its Winter Reliability Assessment (WRA) for the upcoming winter period (December-February) on November 17, 2022.[1] The report reviews how prepared regions are to withstand extreme winter weather. The report noted that almost all areas are well prepared for normal conditions and highlighted the actions taken to strengthen parts of the nation's high voltage systems and gas fuel supplies since Winter Storm Uri in February 2021.

However, the WRA found that a large portion of North America, including the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), and ISO New England (ISO-NE), is at risk of insufficient electricity supplies during peak winter conditions. For example, MISO’s reserve margins have fallen more than 5% since last year, as 4.2 GW of nuclear and coal-fired generation have been retired. The WRA also found that a shortage of distribution transformers could slow restoration efforts during winter storms. As part of its recommendations, NERC suggested that power plant owners line up their fuel supplies for this winter to ensure that they have an adequate supply.

[1] https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_WRA_2022.pdf