FNET observations on the impact of super bowl xlii on the power grid frequency

A great deal of research has been done on the monitoring and analysis of power system events using wide-area frequency measurements. However, the events that have been explored so far mainly fall into the sphere of electrical disturbances of the power system itself, which include generation trips, load shedding, line trips, etc. Scarcely has the research touched upon how societal events, such as national sports coverage, impact the power system frequency. This paper first briefly introduces a wide area frequency monitoring network (FNET) and its ability in detecting and reporting power system disturbances. Subsequently, the frequency plots and relevant analysis during Super Bowl XLII are presented as an example of the impact of the societal event on the power system frequency. The observations show there is a certain correlation between a nation wide societal event and the eventfulness of the power system frequency during the time, which is believed to bring up a new subject with regard to the power system frequency behavior.