The Department of Energy has issued an emergency order for PJM Interconnection, the largest grid operator in the US, as unusually hot weather strains electricity supply from the Mid-Atlantic to the Midwest. The order lets power plants run past their normal pollution limits and gives PJM extra tools to keep the lights on.
The order at a glance
The order, DOE Order No. 202-26-50, was issued on October 12 under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. It took effect October 13 and runs through October 16. It covers all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.
PJM filed its request on October 11. It warned that without federal action, “an imminent electric reliability emergency” would threaten transmission reliability and its ability to serve customers, citing a shortage of electric energy, a shortage of generating facilities and other causes.
