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Severe weather, heat could challenge PA electric grid this summer
- Marc Winter
- Jun 13
- 1 min read
Source: Pocono Records
PJM Interconnection, the regional electric grid operator, warns it may not supply enough power to Pennsylvania and nearby states this summer under "extreme" conditions and might ask some consumers to cut usage.
"Available generation capacity may fall short of required reserves in an extreme planning scenario that would result in an all-time PJM peak load of more than 166,000 MW," the company said in a statement. "Under such circumstances, PJM would call on contracted demand response programs to meet its required reserve needs."
Otherwise, PJM said it believes it has sufficient capacity to meet typical peak demand this summer. It forecasts peak demand to reach 154,000 megawatts.
By the numbers
PJM said one megawatt powers about 800 homes. It has 179,200 megawatts of capacity and can reduce demand by 7,900 megawatts through a voluntary demand response program. The summer peak was 165,563 megawatts in 2006, with recent peaks of 152,700 in 2024 and 147,000 in 2023. PJM manages the grid in 13 states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey.
Cause for concern
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission released summer readiness reports from PJM and the state's major electric distribution companies. Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a hotter and wetter summer than usual, along with an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic. These conditions could increase electricity demand and cause service disruptions.
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