Power
US issues mid-Atlantic power grid emergency order
The U.S. Department of Energy has issued an emergency order to avert blackouts during high temperatures in the mid-Atlantic.
Key points
- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the order following a request from PJM Interconnection.
- Unusually warm autumn weather and seasonal maintenance have tightened power supplies.
- The directive temporarily lifts environmental restrictions and permits large-load customers to use backup generators.
What happened
According to WBFF, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order to prevent power blackouts in Maryland and across the mid-Atlantic region. The measure follows a request from grid operator PJM Interconnection, which cited tight system conditions driven by unseasonably warm autumn weather and planned generation and transmission outages during the maintenance season.
Why it matters
The federal order provides grid operators with increased flexibility to manage system demand. It temporarily suspends specific environmental permit restrictions for power generation units. Additionally, the directive allows PJM to instruct data centres and other large-load consumers to switch to backup power sources if required. The Department of Energy estimates that over 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation capacity exists nationwide.
What comes next
PJM will continue to monitor system conditions as warm weather persists alongside scheduled infrastructure maintenance across the mid-Atlantic grid network.
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.
