US Declares Energy Emergency to Face Extreme Heatwave

The United States government has officially declared an energy emergency for the nation’s largest power grid. The move is an anticipatory measure against a dangerous heatwave threatening the resilience of the national electricity infrastructure. The emergency order, issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday local time, grants authority to power plants in the PJM Interconnection region to operate at maximum levels. This region serves 67 million people across 13 states. In an effort to maintain supply stability, the order also permits power plants to exceed certain environmental requirements during the emergency period. Additionally, a second order from the Department of Energy authorises the use of backup generators in the PJM region as a last resort. PJM requested the emergency order on Monday following warnings of potential record-breaking electricity demand. Temperatures are forecast to soar past 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or approximately 38 degrees Celsius. The National Weather Service reported that the extreme temperatures are being driven by a ‘heat dome’ phenomenon, where high pressure traps hot air over a region. The high temperatures are expected to spread from Washington to Boston, with the potential to break hundreds of daily temperature records across more than two dozen states. This summer is proving to be a severe challenge for the US electricity system. Beyond the weather, the grid is struggling to meet a massive surge in energy demand from data centres. Last month, the Department of Energy issued a similar order to deploy reserve generation resources in the PJM region to mitigate the risk of blackouts in the Mid-Atlantic area.