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DOE directs data centers to use backup generators during heat wave
CNN • • business
Key Points:
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed data centers in the mid-Atlantic PJM grid to switch to backup power to reduce strain on the public electricity grid amid a severe East Coast heat wave.
- Temperatures with heat indexes over 100 degrees have driven up air conditioning use, increasing energy demand from Washington, DC, to New York City.
- The PJM region, covering 13 states and home to a large cluster of data centers in Virginia, has experienced electricity price spikes due to high energy consumption by these centers.
- New York City, outside the PJM grid, faced power outages affecting over 15,000 Con Edison customers, with city officials urging residents to conserve electricity by adjusting AC settings and unplugging appliances.
- While backup generators help alleviate grid stress, their use raises pollution and air quality concerns, and the PJM region lacks extensive large-scale battery storage compared to states like Texas and California.
