With another heat wave predicted to hit western Pennsylvania this week, PJM Interconnection is bracing for a possible second massive drain on electricity reserves, just a little over a week since it set a record for energy demand.
Preliminary estimates show PJM reached an all-time peak load of 168,158 megawatts between 5 and 6 PM on July 2nd, eclipsing the previous record from August 2nd of 2006. The average temperature over the entire PJM footprint was 97 degrees, with the Mid-Atlantic Region in the low 100s. Also factoring into the energy emergency were forced outages (between 18,100 and 19,400 megawatts) that were far higher than the average of 12,800.
The grid operator responded with two orders: petitioning and receiving from the Department of Energy a temporary curtailment of maximum environmental permit restrictions, allowing power companies to increase production; and by ordering large-load users such as data centers to switch to backup power sources. Anticipating the load demand, the two orders were in effect from July 1st through the 6th.
Temperatures will be in the upper eighties to low nineties through the middle portion of the coming week, creating more conditions PJM says “are growing tighter over time as new power supplies fail to keep up with system demand.”
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