Heat and storms disrupt July 4 celebrations, leave millions without power

Record heat and thunderstorms knocked out power, strained the grid and derailed July 4 celebrations across the Midwest and Northeast as PJM moved to protect electricity supplies for 67 million people. More than 1 million customers lost power after storms ripped through the region, while downed trees and ruptured lines made travel and holiday gatherings more difficult.

PJM kept a Hot Weather Alert in effect through July 4 and into July 5 for the Mid-Atlantic and Dominion zones. The grid operator activated Pre-Emergency Demand Response customers across its footprint on the afternoon of July 2 to raise reserves for the evening peak, and the system was facing near-record demand as air-conditioning use climbed.

The U.S. Department of Energy kept emergency orders in place for PJM from 11:59 p.m. ET on June 30 through 11:59 p.m. ET on July 3. One order said a statutory emergency existed because demand had jumped sharply while operating reserves thinned; another authorized PJM to tap backup generation resources at data centers and other major facilities. PJM also ordered customers in emergency electricity-reduction programs to curb use as generator outages, overloaded transmission lines and surging cooling demand strained the grid.

Heat forced cancellations and postponements of parades, concerts and fireworks across the central and eastern United States as the country marked its 250th birthday. ABC News put more than 75 million people in a severe storm zone, with damaging wind gusts the main hazard.

NBC News put record-setting heat behind 25 suspected deaths from the Deep South to the East Coast. Reuters put spot wholesale electricity prices in PJM’s Virginia zone above $600 per megawatt-hour during the heat wave, with some congested transmission zones climbing above $2,500.