The emergency order is intended to mitigate the risk of power outages.
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a power grid emergency for the PJM Interconnection region.
The emergency order, which goes into effect Oct. 13-16, is intended to mitigate power outage risks in the Mid-Atlantic region ahead of a period of high demand, a high rate of planned generator outages during the fall maintenance season, and numerous planned transportation outages.
The order directs PJM Interconnection to dispatch specified units and order their operation as needed to maintain reliability and authorizes PJM to order backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert 3.
“This order will help ensure that millions of American families and businesses in the Mid-Atlantic have access to affordable, reliable and secure electricity by making supplemental electricity generation, including backup power, available for use as needed,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “While previous leaders’ energy subtraction policies have made the grid more vulnerable to the risk of power outages when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, this administration remains committed to using every tool available to prevent outages.”
The PJM region includes all or part of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
The DOE estimates that more than 35 GW of unused backup generation remains available nationwide.
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