DOE declares energy emergency as heat wave threatens U.S. power grid
The Department of Energy issued an emergency alert for the PJM grid amid record heat, directing load reductions and warning of possible blackouts through Friday.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced an Energy Emergency Alert on Tuesday, directing PJM Interconnections, which serves about 65 million customers across 13 states and Washington, D.C., to take steps to avoid blackouts as a severe heat wave sweeps the East Coast, Midwest and South. The alert, effective until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, orders PJM to curtail electricity use at data centers with backup generators and other non-essential facilities.
PJM forecasts a peak demand of 166,304 megawatts on Thursday, potentially surpassing the previous record set in 2006. The Department of Energy’s secretary, Chris Wright, said maintaining “affordable, reliable, and secure power in the PJM service territory is non-negotiable.”
Regional operators also expect unusually high demand. The New York Independent System Operator and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator both anticipate approaching record peaks, while ISO-New England expects tight conditions but believes it has sufficient resources to meet demand. A spokesperson for ISO-New England said the organization is in close contact with partners in New York and Canada and can deploy tools to balance supply and demand.
Experts warned that the heat wave coincides with the Fourth of July holiday, when residential cooling will dominate electricity use, and that nighttime temperatures are expected to remain high, limiting maintenance outages. They cautioned that some utilities may need to implement rolling blackouts if the grid becomes overstressed.
