(The Center Square) – Northeastern North Carolina customers served by America’s largest regional grid operator have been warned about potential summer power shortages.
PJM, based out of Valley Forge, Pa., and serving 13 states, says it “should have adequate reserves to maintain reliability.” It also said a company first may happen with all-time peak load of more than 166,000 megawatts – roughly 12,000 megawatts over the projected peak load.
Energy operators, almost without fail, have a mission to provide reliable electricity to consumers and to do so safely. For PJM, a 2023 analysis signaled concerns for supply and demand as generators are retired and new resources crawl into the equation. Growth and demand acceleration has outpaced adding supply, it says.
“This outlook at a record peak heat scenario reflects our years-long and mounting concerns as we plan for enough resources to maintain grid reliability,” said Aftab Khan, the executive vice president overseeing the department for Operations, Planning & Security. “All resources within PJM’s footprint should be prepared to respond when called upon.”
PJM serves 65 million customers with 88,333 miles of transmission lines, with North Carolina southern-most of 13 states and the District of Columbia. Its footprint also steps at least partially into Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
PJM says control rooms monitor potential scenarios that may compromise delivery, from the weather to emergency conditions and equipment failure. Resource output is directed so transmission lines and facilities do not overload.
