You Asked, We Answered: During a regional power grid emergency, how does RPU keep electricity reliable and what does it mean for future reliability?

During the recent January cold snap, customers across the region were asked to temporarily reduce electricity use. While that may raise concerns, it’s important to understand that this was a regional grid event, not an issue specific to Rochester.

Extreme cold drove up energy demand across the Upper Midwest while some generation sources were limited. Wind generation dropped due to low wind conditions, and natural gas supplies were constrained due to increased demand for heating. This created temporary strain across the broader regional grid. At the local level, RPU remained focused on reliability.

Our system is designed with flexibility in mind, including dual-fuel generation units that can operate on either natural gas or fuel oil. When natural gas became limited, RPU transitioned to fuel oil and operated peak-demand generators around the clock.

RPU staff and fuel suppliers worked continuously for more than 50 hours to support this effort. The operation included bringing tanker trucks to RPU power plants as frequently as every two hours to keep generators fueled and running, ensuring power remained available to our community.

These proactive efforts, combined with regional coordination and voluntary conservation by customers, helped reduce strain on the system and prevented the need for rolling outages in Rochester.

Events like this are rare and driven by extreme conditions. They are not reflective of everyday operations or the reliability of RPU’s system. Situations like these are closely managed across the regional grid, with utilities working together to maintain stability and service.

At RPU, reliability is our top priority. We are committed to providing safe, dependable service in all conditions and taking the necessary steps to keep the lights on for our customers.

To learn more, listen to RPU General Manager Tim McCollough’s recent conversation on Rochester Today on KROC-AM, where he discusses the January grid event and how RPU works to maintain reliability.

KROC-AM interview about the January grid event