Threat of Summer Power Deficit Looms Widely for Americans (1)

Millions of Americans from the upper Midwest to the Gulf Coast are facing the biggest threat of power supply shortfalls in the US this summer.

About 89 million people access three grids spanning parts of the central US now deemed an elevated risk zone. The shutdown of older power plants, possible forced outages and high demand are contributing to potential deficits, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said in its annual summer assessment.

“Going in the summer, the grid operators need to be prepared for the potential conditions to be stressful once again,” Mark Olson, NERC’s manager of ...