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Power Grid Emergency Declared Across 13 U.S. States
PJM can bring more generation online as demand nears 111,500 megawatts and planned outages tighten supply, federal officials said.
The Department issued an emergency order on Tuesday through Friday, Oct. 16, covering 13 states and Washington, District of Columbia, directing PJM Interconnection to maintain power reliability across the Mid-Atlantic region.
PJM officials cited unusually warm fall weather boosting electricity demand while significant power plant outages for seasonal maintenance created tight system conditions, prompting the emergency measures.
The order affects the PJM regional transmission grid serving more than 65 million people across the Mid-Atlantic and United States, with electricity use forecast to reach at least 111,500 megawatts.
Federal officials emphasized the declaration is designed to prevent shortages rather than warn of imminent blackouts, providing PJM additional authority to bring power generation resources online as needed.
While the order remains effective through Oct. 16, PJM may implement further emergency procedures if system conditions worsen, though residents have not been instructed to take conservation actions currently.