DOE Lets PJM Curtail Data Centers for 3 Days as Reserves Fall Below 5,800 MW
Updated
Updated · Utility Dive · May 19
DOE Lets PJM Curtail Data Centers for 3 Days as Reserves Fall Below 5,800 MW
2 articles · Updated · Utility Dive · May 19
PJM won a DOE emergency order allowing it to curtail data centers and other large customers with backup generation for three days starting May 18 if grid conditions worsen.
Less than 5,800 MW of reserves were expected at the May 18 peak while more than 40 GW of generation was offline for planned spring maintenance, with Maryland and Virginia seen as especially stressed by unusual heat.
The order treats backup generation at hyperscale data centers and other large industrial or commercial sites as a last resort before rolling blackouts, aiming to cut grid stress without broad customer outages.
PJM on Monday issued maximum-generation and load-management alerts for May 19, activated demand response in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Dominion regions, and forecast peak load of 134,027 MW Tuesday and 135,961 MW Wednesday.
The move extends a broader DOE strategy of tapping largely unused backup generation during emergencies after similar winter orders in January for PJM, Duke utilities and Texas.
As AI's energy thirst grows, are forced power cuts and backup generators our grid's new reality?
Who truly bears the cost of powering the AI revolution: tech companies or the average household?