A mega heat dome is set to descend on the eastern half of the U.S., prompting the Energy Department to issue two emergency orders to reduce the risk of rolling blackouts in the Mid-Atlantic area as PJM Interconnection braces for record power demand.
DOE’s first order directs the PJM region, which serves 67 million people across 13 states, “to dispatch specified units and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability.”
The second order states that PJM, working with transmission owners and electric distribution companies, must use backup generation as a last resort before or during a Level 3 energy emergency.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, “Maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power in the PJM service territory is non-negotiable.”
Bloomberg’s forecast for maximum temperatures across the Washington, D.C., metro area could average in the low triple digits through Saturday.
Hellbound and Down 