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PJM Activates Emergency Demand Response as Hot Weather Alerts Remain in Effect

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PJM Interconnection said it activated its Pre-Emergency Demand Response and Emergency Demand Response programs across its footprint on Friday afternoon to increase system reserves for the evening peak, according to an operations update.

A Hot Weather Alert remained in effect through Friday and has been extended through Saturday for the Mid-Atlantic and Dominion transmission zones, PJM said.

A Maximum Generation Alert and a Load Management Alert also remain in effect, PJM said.

PJM's peak instantaneous load hit 162.7 gigawatts between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, according to preliminary figures. PJM noted that Thursday's peak load may have exceeded its all-time record of 165.6 GW in 2006.

It added he preliminary figure was reduced by the use of demand response programs and that an official preliminary peak load will not be available until after the 60-day period required to estimate demand.

"During the July 2 evening peak, PJM executed a series of procedures to manage demand and maximize supply when some generation tripped offline, including calling on emergency demand response," according to the update.

The operator also warned transmission owners and utilities that they may need to curtail electricity supplied to data centers and other large loads by transferring them to backup generation, if needed.

"Depending on how demand materializes at or near the peak July 3 and based on ongoing conditions, PJM could need to activate these same procedures or others," PJM said.

PJM said it would continue to closely monitor weather forecasts and system conditions and would provide additional operational updates as needed.

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