Power Grid for 67 Million on Edge as Dire Cold Follows Storm

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Source: Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- A deep freeze is gripping the US in the wake of the worst storm so far this season, leaving the country’s biggest electric grid in emergency status and bracing for record wintertime demand.

PJM Interconnection LLC, which serves 67 million people from New Jersey to Chicago, issued a grid emergency for Tuesday and warned demand may exceed record levels for winter. With another burst of frigid air expected Friday, electricity demand could continue to test the system through the end of the month.

Freezing temperatures now cover vast swaths of the US, after a weekend storm canceled flights, blanketed roads with snow and left more than 1 million homes and businesses without power. Reaching deep into the South, the storm even knocked out about 12% of the country’s natural gas production, limiting supplies to power plants and home furnaces that burn the fuel.

PJM’s level-1 emergency means every power plant that serves the region must be ready to run at full capacity. The Energy Department has authorized some plants to run at full tilt, even if they exceed emissions limits. PJM has also asked for authorization to tap backup generators at data centers if needed. Power consumption on the PJM grid peaked at nearly 138 gigawatts Tuesday morning, 6.3% lower than forecast. While bitter cold, temperatures wound up being around 20F in some instances instead of in the low teens as expected.


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