Transformer shortage worries utility owners nationwide

Americans brace for extended power outages and utilities worry about transformer shortages as the US enters peak Atlantic hurricane season – forecasters call for above-average hurricane activity.
“Let’s put things in people’s hands before they need them. You know, be prepared before disaster hits,” a resident told NewsNation’s Rush Hour program Tuesday.
Perhaps the slowest resource this season is electricity as a shortage of transformers hampers utilities across the country.
Texas electricity consumption is expected to hit records again this week as households and retailers try to cushion another heatwave with air conditioners, forecasts released Monday by the state’s grid operator show.
To date, the Texas Electrical Reliability Commission, which operates the network for more than 26 million customers, says it has enough resources to meet demand.
Overall, the US is expected to use record amounts of electricity in 2022. Grid experts say the shortage of transformers cannot be quantified, the supply chain is to blame.
“But there are many other factors that make the network vulnerable. One of them is how we use electricity to electrify transportation and cryptocurrencies,” said Dr. Abdollah Shafiezadeh, an infrastructure expert at Ohio State University.
Wait times for such devices have quadrupled due to delays in the supply chain. What used to take about 12 weeks now takes over a year.
Just Tuesday, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation in Florida that would give US companies billions of dollars to build critical power grid components, including transformers.
Similarly, last month Alabama turned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help in mitigating the problem.
Grid longevity has been a focus in Texas since the February blackout two winters ago.
AccuWeather’s forecast for Houston’s average temperature forecast will rise from 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33.3 degrees Celsius) on Monday to 96 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday. By comparison, the normal high temperature for this time of year is 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
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