When America’s largest power grid operator warns of “growing risks” of summer power shortages, people pay attention—especially now, after witnessing Spain’s brief brush with net-zero collapse, when its failing green energy grid triggered the worst blackout in a generation.
PJM Interconnection, the largest power grid operator in the U.S., issued a warning Friday that extreme heat this summer could collide with record electricity demand, potentially triggering disruptions…
“This season also marks the first time in PJM’s annual assessment, however, that available generation capacity may fall short of required reserves in an extreme planning scenario that would result in an all-time PJM peak load of more than 166,000 MW,” the grid operator warned.
PJM reported it expects around 179,200 MW of available generation capacity this summer, along with 7,900 MW of contracted demand response—resources activated during extreme heat when 65 million customers across its service area, spanning 13 states and the District of Columbia, are setting air conditioning thermostats to max cool.
The grid operator warned that a perfect storm of retiring fossil fuel plants, sluggish renewable energy growth, and soaring demand could trigger shortages for the first time:
“PJM continues to voice concerns about the supply and demand imbalance