PJM has issued a Hot Weather Alert for its Western Region for July 23 ahead of hot weather expected in that area.
A Hot Weather Alert is a routine procedure PJM issues ahead of forecasted 90-plus-degree weather and/or high humidity to prepare transmission and generation personnel and facilities for expected increases in electricity demand, or load.
Additionally, PJM issued a generator maintenance outage recall on July 18 requesting for all maintenance outages to be returned to service by July 23 in order to increase the amount of generation available to meet customer demand.
PJM’s Western Region is made up of the following transmission zones and control areas:
- AES Ohio – formerly Dayton Power & Light
- American Electric Power (AEP Ohio, Appalachian Power, Indiana Michigan Power and Kentucky Power)
- American Municipal Power Transmission
- ComEd
- Cleveland Public Power
- Duke Energy Ohio and Duke Energy Kentucky
- Duquesne Light Company
- East Kentucky Power Cooperative
- FirstEnergy South – formerly Allegheny Power Systems (West Penn Power, Mon Power, Potomac Edison)
- FirstEnergy West – formerly American Transmission Systems, Inc. (Penn Power, Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison)
- Ohio Valley Electric Corporation
- Wabash Valley Power Authority
As of 9:30 a.m. on July 22, PJM expects to serve a peak load of around 141,000 MW on July 23.
PJM’s record summer peak is 165,563 MW, set in 2006. On June 24 this summer, PJM served a preliminary peak of over 162,000 MW, the third-highest peak load in its history.
PJM has approximately 179,200 MW of generation capacity this summer, as well as approximately 7,900 MW of contracted demand response. Demand response programs pay customers in advance to have their electricity use automatically reduced in times of system stress.
A dedicated team of operators uses sophisticated technology to balance supply and demand and direct the power grid 24/7 from PJM’s control rooms. They prepare multiple potential scenarios that could be impacted by weather, emergency conditions or equipment failure. They adjust resource output with changes in demand and ensure that no transmission lines or facilities are overloaded. The team also watches for unusual conditions and reacts to them to protect the electricity supply.
Read more about PJM’s emergency procedures and messages (PDF).