NEW YORK (WWTI) — The statewide electrical grid has announced their preparedness efforts to meet demands for the upcoming winter season.

The New York Independent System Operator reported on Monday that electrical supplies in the State are expected to be sufficient this winter. The NYISO announced that over 42 thousand megawatts of power resources are ready to meet expected peak demand conditions in the winter months.

According to the NYISO,the peak demand for the upcoming winter is predicted to reach 24,130 megawatts, 877 megawatts over last winter’s peak in December 2019. The NYISO is also giving room for the potential for more extreme weather scenarios in New York State. This could increase the peak demand to approximately 25,458 megawatts.

New York Independent System Operator Vice President Wes Yeomans commented on the state’s grid readiness.

“The state’s grid is well-equipped to handle forecasted winter demand,” said Yeomans. “The NYISO operates the grid to meet reliability rules that are among the strictest in the nation and are designed to ensure adequate supply.”

To prepare for the 2020-2021 winter, the NYISO reported that they coordinated with many generating stations remotely to discuss actions. Preparedness actions this year include generation testing, cold-weather preventative maintenance, fuel capabilities and fuel switching capabilities.

Additional requirements for the winter months include an installed reserve margin to compensate for an unanticipated loss of system resources and a daily 2,620 megawatt operating reserve.

The New York grid will have a total capacity power of 42,277 megawatts; 40,943 megawatts of generating capacity from power plants within the state and 496 megawatts of imported power.