Power
US power grid faces emergency amid October heat
North America's largest grid operator has issued an emergency order following unseasonably warm weather and heavy maintenance outages.
Key points
- US Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued an emergency directive for the PJM Interconnection grid.
- Unseasonably warm weather coincided with peak autumn maintenance, reducing available generation.
- Growing electricity demand from data centres continues to strain regional operating reserves.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency directive covering the PJM Interconnection grid, which serves over 67 million people across 13 states and Washington, DC, Realtor.com reported.
The order, running from October 13 to 16, aims to maintain electricity reliability during an unseasonable heat spell. The weather coincided with a peak period for grid repairs, leaving significant generating capacity offline.
Managing the shortfall
According to PJM, operators have not requested public conservation or implemented rolling blackouts. Instead, they activated demand-response programmes and recalled maintenance work to bolster supply.
Long-term pressures
Officials noted that structural challenges, including aging infrastructure and surging demand from data centres, are tightening reserve margins. A 2025 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission analysis found aging assets drove many transmission projects, while data centre expansion continues to outpace new generation capacity.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Grids decide whether generation becomes power that homes and businesses can rely on. Generation mix, transmission and distribution losses, and tariffs together shape reliability and the case for investment.
91.9% of people worldwide had electricity in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
