In which situation should load shedding be considered?

Load shedding should be considered in situations where there is not enough generation to meet the demand. This occurs when the electrical supply is insufficient to satisfy the demand from consumers, leading to potential instability in the power grid. In such cases, load shedding is a strategy employed to prevent a total failure of the system by intentionally disconnecting certain consumers or reducing their load temporarily. By doing this, utilities can manage the generation and load balance, ensuring that the remaining supply can continue to meet the demand without causing equipment overloads or outages.

In contrast, voltage levels that are too low or too high, while they can indicate issues in the system, do not directly prompt the need for load shedding unless those levels are a symptom of inadequate generation capacity. Similarly, power losses in transmission can lead to efficiency issues and system reliability concerns, but they do not trigger load shedding unless they stem from or contribute to an overall shortage of generation.