Grid operator declares energy emergency as May heat wave pushes system to the edge — data centers could be cut from utility power
PJM Interconnection declared an energy emergency for its 13-state and D.C. service area due to a heat wave and significant generation outages. The grid operator requested federal emergency powers to prevent blackouts, which could involve disconnecting data centers from the grid. This action would allow utilities to transfer data centers to backup power, potentially overriding environmental regulations.
PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for more than 67 million customers across 13 states and the District of Columbia, declared an energy emergency on Sunday due to an unseasonably hot mid-May heat wave. This weather event has pushed temperatures into the nineties across much of the eastern United States, coinciding with 40,400 MW of generation capacity being offline for scheduled maintenance. PJM projects a demand of approximately 135,000 MW during Monday's and Tuesday's evening peaks, a level the grid cannot safely meet with available reserves.
In response, PJM filed a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Saturday, requesting an emergency order under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. This request, effective from Monday, May 18, through Wednesday, May 20, seeks emergency powers to prevent potential blackouts. The measure is described as a last resort, to be used only after all other reliability tools have been deployed and before any firm load interruption affects homes and businesses.
The emergency order would grant utility companies the authority to disconnect data centers from grid power and automatically transfer them to their own backup generation facilities. PJM's request explicitly states this could occur "notwithstanding any applicable environmental limitations under federal, state, or local law or regulation." Areas of particular concern due to transmission constraints include the BGE, PEPCO, and Dominion zones, which cover Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. area.