PJM issues grid alert as heat wave pushes power demand toward 14-year high
Jun. 22, 2025 3:32 PM ET
By: Rob Williams, SA News Editor
A powerful heat wave stretching across much of the Eastern and Central U.S. is driving electricity demand to levels not seen in over a decade, prompting PJM Interconnection to declare an energy emergency alert.
The regional grid operator, which covers parts of 13 states from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and supplies power to about one in five Americans, is bracing for demand to exceed 160 gigawatts on Monday afternoon -- potentially the highest usage since July 2011, PJM said.
To help stabilize the grid, PJM also issued a “maximum generation emergency” notice, signaling the need for all available power resources to be online.
Monday marks the third day of an extended heat wave in the Washington, D.C. region. Temperatures in Northern Virginia, a major hub for data centers, are forecast to reach 99°F (37°C), about 15 degrees above normal, according to AccuWeather. In Chicago, the mercury could climb to 95°F, roughly 12 degrees above average.
With temperatures expected to remain high through the week, grid operators and energy providers are urging customers to conserve electricity during peak hours. |
