It’s been two days crisis in the National Electrical System due to blackoutsas well as the reports of impacts of about 5.2 percent during peak demand Of electricity.
The situation has caused various Questions about the capacity of the National Electrical Systemas well as the handling of the situation by the National Energy Control Center (Cenace), since on Tuesday, May 7, it reported that The system entered “Emergency Operational State”while this Wednesday the 8th it reported that it entered “Operational Alert State.”
There are differences in both situations, which also explains that The blackout situation on Tuesday was higher than that of this Wednesdayand that is due to the adversities faced by the National Electrical System in each of the circumstances.
The electricity crisis that Mexico has faced is largely due to the second heat wave, which has kept the country’s 32 states with maximum temperature forecasts of 30 degrees onwards this week, being one of the hottest of the year as reported by the Meteorological Service of the National Water Commission (Conagua).
Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatán are the entities most affected with forecasts of more than 45 degreeswhich also translates into questions about whether the blackouts will extend throughout the hot season.
Before the problems facing the electrical systemthis is what you should know about its operation and the risk that an emergency and an alert means.
Operational Status of the National Electrical System: This is what you should know about its operation
He National Electric System is made up of different national networks and general transmission and distribution, which serve to provide electrical service throughout the country. Power plants also participateCenace equipment and facilities and other elements determined by the Ministry of Energy so that Mexicans have electricity in their homes.
This electrical system has three operating states: normal, alert and emergency. And its implementation depends on the level of reserve, which is an ‘extra’ energy to operate.
The normal operating state of the National Electrical System has 6 percent reserve limit. This level is the one that normally prevails throughout the country.
The Alert Operational State occurs when the reserve limit is 3 to 6 percent. This moment is a preamble to the emergencyand when it is declared, work begins to prevent reaching a level of massive blackouts.
The Emergency Operational State occurs when the reserve is less than 3 percent. At that time, sufficient determinations are made to avoid impacts on the electrical service, as well as a possible major crisis.
Now you may be wondering: What causes the reserve to go down? Well, the answer is demand.
This means that in the hours in which the most electricity is consumed in Mexico, between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., this reserve may fall, leading to a change in the operational status of the National Electrical System.
It should be noted that the warmer, the level of electricity consumption increases due to different factors. That is why the authorities recommend that during the hot season you do not leave fans or air conditioners on while you are not at home, since this contributes to not wearing out the electrical reserve.
