ISO New England, which administers the regional power grid, said on Wednesday the system is operating under normal conditions after this week’s solar storm.
The solar storm ejection from the sun earlier this week was the largest since 2003 and the resulting magnetic disturbances could impact ISO ability to maintain the bulk power system reliability.
The biggest impact from the solar storm could be the direction change of electric current flow, which can cause ground-induced voltages to occur. The Northeast is particularly susceptible to the storm because of its high concentrations or rock and long transmission lines.
To prevent power fluctuations, ISO can work with power plants to re-dispatch their outputs, having transmission line crews stop maintenance work, and manage the amount of electricity flowing along the grid.
