PJM will be tuned in to the Big Game this weekend, but not because the local team is playing. Control room operators will be monitoring electricity demand to ensure a constant flow of power to all of the TVs, slow cookers, refrigerators and other appliances serving 65 million people across 13 states and Washington, D.C.
After weather and historical usage comparisons, human behavior is the biggest factor in forecasting customers’ needs. PJM considers people’s routines during certain seasons, holidays, days of the week and times of the day.
The Super Bowl has its own distinctive pattern, and it’s not what you might guess.
Demand is greatest not when all of the big-screen televisions are broadcasting the game, but in the periods before the game, during halftime and after the last play. That’s when electricity is powering ovens, microwaves, refrigerators, hot-water heaters, dishwashers and other energy-hungry appliances.
Usage Heats Up About 3 p.m.
Game day starts off like any other Sunday in February, with electricity use climbing as people wake up, turn on lights, make coffee and get ready for the day. It flattens out around lunchtime, coinciding with last-minute trips to the store or travel to parties. Around 3 p.m., energy usage starts heating up along, with the food being prepared for the main event and pregame festivities.
Kickoff, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., marks a drop in electricity use as folks settle in to watch the game. At the end of the first half, there’s a bump as people get off the couch, open the fridge for a drink, reheat the wings and replenish their plates.
As halftime performer Kendrick Lamar takes the stage Sunday around 8:30 p.m., the demand curve will drop again for another 15 or 20 minutes, as it did last year when Usher performed at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Will the Game Be a Nail-Biter?
After another momentary flurry of activity in homes and bars across the country when the halftime show ends, the demand for electricity will continue to decrease until the last bump at the end of the game.
If the game is close, like it was last year when the 49ers and Chiefs were tied 19–19 with 3 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, electricity demand will remain low until the very end. If it’s a blowout, people will start tuning out and plugging in for other activities.
In the Philadelphia region in 2018, when the Eagles bested the Patriots for the team’s first Super Bowl victory, the demand stayed high while fans celebrated.
Last Time, the Superdome Went Dark
Incidentally, the last time the Super Bowl was played in New Orleans, the Superdome lost power for half an hour in the second half after a piece of relay equipment failed. Entergy has said it’s ready this year, and the Superdome has been tested with events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour that use as much electricity as the Super Bowl, 12 MW. (Louisiana is not in the PJM service territory.)
Swift is expected to be there again Sunday, but this time as a fan of the Chiefs, her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s team.
Regardless of how the Chiefs and Eagles match up, or how many times Taylor Swift pops up on your screen, PJM will be prepared. Its operators were doing this for decades before Super Bowl I in 1967 saw the same Chiefs lose to the Packers. You can find real-time conditions of load, generation fuel mix and more on the Markets & Operations dashboard or on the PJM Now app.