Grid operator in US central states warns of potential rolling blackouts

The regional U.S. grid operator for 14 central states warned on Monday evening that it could order rolling blackouts because the power system was on the brink of an electricity shortfall due to record demand.

Several power plants unexpectedly tripped offline, leaving reserve margins razor thin amid a heat wave in the territory stretching from North Dakota to Louisiana.

The pool, called the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), issued a level three energy alert, meaning the grid operator used some or all of its operating reserves to serve demand. The grid operator said it had not had to order rolling blackouts despite the high risk.

SPP issued the level three alert about 6 p.m. EDT for its western territory, before ratcheting down the threat level a couple of hours later.

On rare occasion, grid operators will order controlled blackouts to prevent outages from cascading across a wider area.