Power Outages Could Be a Delayed Reaction

More than 100,000 people had lost power by midday Saturday, as this weekend's winter storm kicked in across much of the US. The most serious electrical disruptions may not surface until storm has passed, forecasters say. Energy analysts expect that the heaviest damage in Texas, where the grid has struggled with cold weather in recent years, and the Mid-Atlantic could come Monday and Tuesday, the New York Times reports. "Just because the snow stops, that doesn't mean the worst is over," said Wei Du of PA Consulting. The reasons include:

• The dangers of ice: Snow and ice weigh down tree limbs and power lines, causing them to break. As little as a half-inch of ice can stress power lines to the breaking point, per the Washington Post. Ice also makes it difficult access more difficult for the utility crews trying to make repairs and restore power. "Significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause widespread and long-lasting power outages," wrote the National Weather Service in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Delayed demand: Electricity use is expected to spike sharply after the weekend as people turn up heat and use appliances before and after work. Consulting firm ICF projects that the main Texas grid, operated by ERCOT, will see peak demand between 5am and 8am Monday. On PJM's system, which serves 13 states and Washington, DC, demand is expected to crest between 7am and 10am Tuesday, possibly setting a new winter record.

• Preparation: Grid operators say they have worked to harden their systems, but the current storm is sweeping from the Rockies to New England, affecting more than 160 million people and potentially straining multiple networks at once. Many Southern states share power resources, per the Post, so problems in one could affect others. Utilities and federal officials are coordinating to limit outages. The Edison Electric Institute said power companies are working with state and federal agencies.
• Data centers: Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the government is preparing orders that would allow grid operators, as a last resort, to require data centers and other major facilities to run on backup generators to ease grid demand. Industry groups say data centers can temporarily switch off grid power without interrupting service. Amazon, a leading cloud provider, said it is closely tracking the storm and working with grid operators to maintain reliability for critical customers such as hospitals and government agencies.