PJM Interconnection, the largest US Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), has been granted approval to curtail data centers and other large loads that have backup generation under an emergency order issued by the US Department of Energy (DOE).
– Getty Images
The RTO asked the DOE on Sunday (17 May) to have the ability to direct transmission owners and electric utilities across its Mid-Atlantic and Midwest footprint for permission to curtail those facilities if needed for three days starting May 18 due to hot weather, as well as planned outages at several power plants for maintenance.
PJM said it expected to have less than 5.8GW of reserves during the peak period, placing significant strain upon the system.
“The projected level of generation outages coupled with the forecasted demand raises a significant risk of emergency conditions that could jeopardize electric reliability and public safety,” PJM said.
