Power Grid Emergency Hits IL: What To Know

Key Points:

• PJM Interconnection, which manages the Mid-Atlantic power grid serving 13 states and over 67 million people, has declared an emergency allowing certain power plants to bypass normal restrictions to ensure reliable electricity flow through Friday.
• The emergency declaration affects areas including Manhattan, Crete, Morris, Elgin, Aurora, Pekin, University Park, Waukegan, and Cordova, aiming to reduce blackout risks amid high demand, planned generator outages, and transmission maintenance.
• U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright emphasized that the order will help provide affordable and reliable electricity by enabling additional power generation, including backup sources, to be used as needed.
• Despite no immediate threat of mass blackouts, the Department of Energy notes that 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation capacity is available nationwide if required.
• The PJM region covers parts or all of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.