Periodically, North America experiences severe cold weather events that result in unexpected operating constraints on facilities, including fuel resource limitations and both scheduled and unscheduled outages. The ERO Enterprise has increased its focus on reducing severe cold weather-related risks. As part of these efforts, MRO developed and implemented its Generator Winterization Program (GWP).
All forms of generation, regardless of location, are susceptible to the impacts of cold weather. While units in the northern portions of the MRO regional footprint may have been designed for sub-zero temperatures, there are still critical components that can be affected by climate. The units in the south were not always designed for exposure to colder temperatures, so processes and procedures need to be in place to minimize the impact of cold weather on performance.
The purpose of the GWP is to identify generator winterization best practices and areas for improvement that can be shared with stakeholders across MRO’s regional footprint.
MRO will select entities each year to participate in a GWP site visit and GWP Survey. The purpose is to collect information on the entities’ individual winterization plans for review of Best Practices and to offer Recommendations. Winterization Plan reviews are based on NERC’s Guideline of the seven key components of a plan (Safety, Management Roles, Process & Procedures, Critical Components, Testing, Training, and Communications).
Entities and generating sites not selected to participate in the current years GWP are encouraged to download a copy of the survey to perform a self-assessment of their winterization plan.
Submit questions regarding the Generator Winterization Program to [email protected].