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US DOE Grants PJM Interconnection Powers to Keep Grid Stable Ahead of Heatwave

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The US Department of Energy has issued an emergency order to reduce the risk of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic with hot weather forecast for the coming days likely to increase electricity demand, it said on Tuesday.

The order calls upon PJM Interconnection to dispatch certain units and to order their operation, to ensure reliability, a statement said.

It also empowers PJM to call on backup generation resources to operate as a last resort, before declaring an Energy Emergency

Alert 3 (EEA 3).

PJM had submitted an application requesting such powers, including over transmission owners and electricity distribution companies on July 13. The order expires on July 21, the DoE said.

The department of energy estimates that there are about 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation available nationwide.

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