What Is Load Shedding — and Could It Happen Here?

By Mark Soto

December 27, 2024

Energy crises are unfortunate issues that many countries and electrical companies have to deal with. There are many methods that companies and governments around the world use when the power supply of an area can’t meet the full demand for it. Load shedding is one way to deal with a lack of electricity by preventing a power grid from overheating, which can lead to a total blackout.

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What Is Load Shedding?

Load shedding is the process of rotating and shutting down power in specific areas so that the power supply doesn’t get overloaded with too much demand. When the power supply cannot meet the full electrical requirements, it can lead to equipment failures and a total system failure. This can result in more customers being affected rather than just a subset of those customers at a time if load shedding is implemented.

Electric companies use load shedding to avoid complete power failure, which can cripple the customers that need it the most, like hospitals and clinics. Companies typically schedule load shedding on a routine planned basis and give customers a heads up, giving them time to prepare. However, it can also occur when emergencies happen as a result of natural disasters or sudden equipment failures.

Places Where Load Shedding is Common

Load shedding doesn’t happen in every country and consistently occurs more often in specific countries than in others. Some of the most popular places in the world that use load shedding the most are South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Lebanon.

These countries tend to experience power crises the most and rely on load shedding to prevent complete power outages. A reliance on imported fuel affects these regions when there is a fuel shortage, and a lack of adequate infrastructure prevents them from meeting the electrical demands needed by their population and businesses.

While there have been steps taken in these areas to reduce the reliance on load shedding, building out the infrastructure for more energy demand and switching to other energy sources takes years of planning and building.

Load Shedding in the U.S.

Load shedding isn’t something that often happens in the U.S. like in other countries. Instead, it may typically occur during extreme emergencies like hurricanes and harsh weather, and it’s normally referred to as rotating blackouts. Major parts of the U.S. that experience it are California — due to the heatwaves the state experience — and Texas — due to similar heatwaves and unexpected winter storms.

Texas also uses its own power grid infrastructure rather than the national grid, meaning it can’t quickly draw power from other areas when needed.

As the population in the U.S. increases, it’s possible that load shedding may be needed one day. But at the same time, the U.S. is prioritizing building out more energy infrastructure and using renewable energy sources like solar power which will reduce the need for load shedding.

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Causes of Load Shedding

Equipment failures can be one of the main reasons why load shedding occurs. When unexpected emergencies like weather-related problems lead to equipment issues, it can be difficult to meet the usual demand expected from companies and people daily. In some countries, the current infrastructure simply just can’t meet the demand required from the power supply, and that’s why load shedding is done on a scheduled and expected basis.

Population growth without the infrastructure in place to meet the increased energy demands can also force places to implement load shedding. It’s not just people either, since more businesses also mean more energy requirements. It’s been shown that economic growth directly correlates with energy consumption.

Load shedding is also a result of an increase in usage during specific seasons, like using the air conditioner when it’s hot outside or the furnace when it’s cold outside. Companies and countries can more easily plan for these expected changes in weather, but it’s not so simple when natural disasters like hurricanes or floods happen. These events can significantly damage energy infrastructure and make it unrepairable or inoperable for some time.

Effects of Load Shedding

Load shedding impacts the everyday life of people who live in the area. People aren’t able to use air conditioning or heating, which can be an inconvenience in some areas and a serious hazard in others. Food that is currently in the fridge can go bad, leading to food loss. A lack of internet and communication transmissions can mean a loss of contact with the outside world. Even driving can become complicated as traffic light outages can make things slightly dangerous, and fuel shortages might mean you can run out of available gas. School and business closures can make things difficult for parents.

Load shedding can cause more than just inconveniences in areas with no power. Criminals take note of scheduled load-shedding outages planned for specific areas and use this vulnerable time to target homes that don’t have functioning security systems.

It can have a significant impact on businesses, resulting in a loss of revenue for the day if no work can be done. Businesses and people may also experience higher energy costs since a lack of energy means that the demand is greater for it, resulting in higher prices to obtain it.

Solutions to Load Shedding

There are some solutions that many countries and companies have taken to reduce the need for load shedding or better deal with it. You can build and rely on alternative and more renewable power sources using solar panels.

Using more energy-efficient materials and equipment can also help reduce electricity usage. Places and people can use LED lighting, which is more energy efficient, add motion sensor lights, and ensure there is enough insulation in your home or business for better energy performance.

Customers who account for load-shedding typically have backup power sources like on-site diesel generators that keep things running at all times. This is a common solution that a lot of data centers and other places like hospitals, banks, and airports use. Battery storage systems are also commonly used to store energy and use it temporarily when it’s needed the most.

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