U.S. declares grid emergency as heat drives power demand higher
The Energy Department declared a grid emergency across PJM as demand climbed toward 162,860 megawatts, raising blackouts fears in a heat wave.
The U.S. Department of Energy declared an emergency across PJM Interconnection’s massive grid after the operator warned that extreme heat was pushing electricity demand toward levels that could strain reliability. The federal order, issued under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, gave officials authority to respond to a shortage of electric energy as temperatures rose and reserve margins tightened.
PJM requested the emergency order on June 27 after concluding that system conditions could create an imminent electric reliability emergency. In its filing, the operator said forecast highs were in the 90s and could exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the BGE, PEPCO and Dominion zones. PJM projected peak load of about 159,563 megawatts on July 1 and 162,860 megawatts on July 2, levels that could raise the risk of supply shortfalls and threaten grid stability.
PJM serves roughly 65 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia. PJM issued a Hot Weather Alert for its Western Region on June 29 and extended a broader alert across the full footprint from June 30 through July 3 as the region braced for a prolonged spell of 90-plus degree weather.
The emergency action came just days after PJM stakeholders approved new emergency procedures on June 24 in Manual 13. Those changes added a Capacity Advisory and new language allowing PJM to coordinate backup generation serving data centers and other large loads as a last-resort reliability tool. The procedures were designed to work even when capacity deficits appear outside traditional hot- or cold-weather emergencies.
The federal move also followed earlier action this year. In January, the Energy Department issued a separate PJM Section 202(c) order allowing backup generation at data centers and other large-load customers as a last resort before an Energy Emergency Alert 3. In May 2025, DOE ordered certain Eddystone units to keep running past retirement.
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