SaskPower exporting power to U.S. to help with mass power outages

SaskPower is helping Canada’s neighbours to the south keep their power on.

Due to the extreme cold in the southern U.S., the Saskatchewan crown corporation is exporting 175 megawatts of electricity. This is to provide relief as millions are without power in parts of the U.S.

SaskPower began sending 150 megawatts on Sunday but has temporarily increased that amount to 175.

“In Saskatchewan, we know first-hand the challenges posed by extreme winter weather, and being part of an integrated grid means that when called upon, we help each other out,” Kory Hayko, SaskPower Vice-President of Transmission and Industrial Services, said in a news release. “We have been able to help our neighbours in their time of need while maintaining the stability of our grid and delivering reliable power to our customers.”

SaskPower said it has been able to manage the higher than normal peak power usage during Saskatchewan’s 10-day cold stretch.

The exported power is being fed through an intertie into the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which is currently under emergency operating conditions. SPP coordinates the flow of electricity across approximately 60,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines spanning 14 states.