A state of emergency has been declared in the U.S. power grid due to abnormal heat — Bloomberg
On July 1, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in the country’s largest power grid due to the threat of infrastructure overload amid a severe heat wave. Authorities are preparing for a possible sharp increase in electricity consumption.
The emergency order, issued on Tuesday, June 30, by the U.S. Department of Energy, allows power plants in the PJM Interconnection LLC service area to operate at maximum capacity and exceed certain environmental requirements.
PJM Interconnection LLC serves 67 million people in 13 states.
It is reported that a second order from the agency allows the use of backup generators in the PJM service area “as a last resort.”
Both orders are in effect until 11:59 p.m. New York time on July 3.
It is noted that PJM submitted a request to this effect on Monday, warning of potentially record-breaking electricity demand amid a forecast of temperatures rising above 38 degrees Celsius.
According to forecasts, such temperatures are expected from Washington to Boston due to the influence of a “heat dome” that is trapping hot air over the region.
The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), which has issued extreme heat warnings for more than two dozen states, predicts that hundreds of temperature records could be tied or broken.
This summer is reportedly already proving challenging for the U.S. power grid, which is facing rising demand from data centers. Last month, the Department of Energy issued a special emergency order allowing the use of PJM’s reserve capacity to prevent power outages in the Mid-Atlantic states, according to Bloomberg.
As a reminder, the extreme heat in Europe has led to at least 18 deaths.
France has faced power outages amid a record-breaking heat wave that has swept across much of Western Europe. Several regions have reported power outages, as well as the imposition of emergency restrictions and the temporary closure of educational institutions.
