The chairman of the North Dakota Public Service Commission said she doesn’t think North Dakota will see “rolling blackouts” this summer.
The manager of the power grid for this area – The Midwest System Operator, or “MISO” – has issued an advisory for potential rolling blackouts. MISO said because of predicted heat, the system might be short of electricity. But PSC Chairman Julie Fedorchak said she’s talked with MISO leadership and officials with XCEL Energy.
"MISO's general manager told me, 'Just because where you're situated, shedding load isn't going to help with where things are tight.'" Fedorchak said. "And North Dakota has so much 'dispatchable generation,' we're not going to be short."
Fedorchak said North Dakota is actually "long in power."
"And we'll be generating the power everybody else needs," Fedorchak said.
MISO said it would be increasing its power imports, and using emergency resources, to help mitigate the expected shortfall.