The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Nov. 19, edition that surging electricity demand this winter may strain the continent's power grid during cold snaps and severe storms, according to a forecast from the North American Electric Reliability Corp. The Globe's Matthew McClearn writes that the NERC's latest seasonal reliability outlook reports a forecasted 20-gigawatt increase in peak electricity demand compared with last winter -- an increase of 2.5 per cent, particularly notable in areas with new data centres. "All areas are assessed as having adequate resources for normal winter peak-load conditions," the NERC concluded. "However, more extreme winter conditions extending over a wide area could result in electricity supply shortfalls." Total generation capacity also increased across the continent over the last year, but only by 9.4 gigawatts. Moreover, much of that increase came from solar resources, which often provide little electricity during hours of peak demand during the winter. The NERC identified seven U.S. grid areas at elevated risk, including regions in northwest and southwest Texas. Texas, in particular, faces supply shortfall risks due to strong load growth from new data centres.