Federal Grid Emergency: DOE Orders PJM to Fire Up Backup Power Across 13 States
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy has declared a power grid emergency across the mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest, issuing an emergency order directing the nation's largest grid operator to bring additional generation online to prevent blackouts this week.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued Emergency Order No. 202-26-50 on October 12 under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, directing PJM Interconnection to dispatch specified generating units as needed to maintain grid reliability. The order, effective October 13 through October 16, also authorizes PJM to call on backup generation resources — including backup generators at data centers and large commercial facilities — as a last resort before declaring a Level 3 Energy Emergency Alert.
PJM, which serves more than 65 million people across the District of Columbia and all or parts of 13 states, requested the emergency authority on October 11. The grid operator cited: electricity demand forecast at or above 111,500 megawatts on October 13; roughly 61,591 megawatts of generation offline for the autumn maintenance season; numerous planned transmission outages; and firm export obligations. Conditions could bring the system within 900 MW of its reserve margin on October 14, PJM warned. Unusually warm fall weather is driving higher-than-normal electricity demand, and pressure is expected to be most acute in the BGE, PEPCO, and Dominion zones — covering much of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and the Washington, D.C., metro area.
PJM has also issued a Maximum Generation Alert and Load Management Alert for October 13, plus a Capacity Advisory through October 14. Officials emphasized that these alerts do not require immediate action from residential customers, and no widespread outages had been reported as of Tuesday.
"While past leaders' energy subtraction policies have made the grid more vulnerable to the risk of blackouts when the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, this administration remains committed to using every available tool to prevent blackouts," Wright said in a statement. The department estimates more than 35 GW of unused backup generation remains available nationwide.
The emergency region includes the District of Columbia and all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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