Polar Vortex Review

This report describes what happened during the polar vortex and why some of the conditions occurred, and it presents lessons learned and recommendations for future actions. In early January of 2014, the Midwest, South Central, and East Coast regions of North America experienced a weather condition known as a polar vortex, where extreme cold weather conditions occurred in lower latitudes than normal, resulting in temperatures 20 to 30° F below average. Some areas faced days that were 35° F or more below their average temperatures. These temperaturesresulted in record high electrical demand for these areas on January 6 and again on January 7, 2014.

The report also contains several observations and recommendations to improve performance ahead of and during cold weather events. The recommendations include:

• Review natural gas supply and transportation issues and work with gas suppliers, markets, and regulators to develop appropriate actions.
• Review and update power plant weatherization programs, including procedures and staff training.
• Continue or consider implementing a program for winter preparation site reviews at generation facilities.
• Review internal processes to ensure they account for the ability to secure necessary waivers of environmental and/or fuel restrictions.