PJM Adds New Emergency Procedures To Deal With Strained Grid: A Capacity Advisory; Directive For Data Centers To Use Backup Generators

On June 24, the PJM Interconnection announced it has adopted new emergency procedures to deal with the strained capacity of the electric grid-- a new Capacity Advisory and a directive for data centers to use backup generators.

Emergency Use of Backup Generator Action

When system conditions are extreme, PJM may request a U.S. Department of Energy Order to allow data centers or other large loads to turn on backup generation as a last resort to avoid power outages for residential and other retail customers.

PJM, in coordination with Transmission Owners and other stakeholders, has developed a separate new Emergency Procedure containing detailed steps for coordination among PJM, Transmission Owners, Electric Distribution Companies and Load Serving Entities and their large load customers with backup generation.

The “Emergency Use of Backup Generators Warning” directs coordination among the entities mentioned above, including PJM, to determine amounts of power that may be served by backup generation in each transmission zone.

Subsequent issuance of an “Emergency Use of Backup Generator Action” requires large loads to be prepared to move to backup generation within 15 minutes. 

The Backup Generator Action would only be called after all available generation resources and load management were exhausted and prior to a Voltage Reduction Action and/or Manual Load Dump Action.

[Note: PJM requested and received a DOE emergency order during the May 18-19 Hot Weather Alert to require data centers to go to backup generators.  Read more here.]

Capacity Advisory

A new Capacity Advisory adds an Emergency Procedure for times when projected grid operating conditions indicate an approaching capacity shortfall.

PJM capacity emergencies have taken place historically in periods of systemwide Hot or Cold Weather Alerts. 

PJM is now seeing forecasted or actual capacity deficits outside of extreme hot or cold periods and expects these instances to increase as demand growth outpaces the addition of new power resources and the percentage of intermittent generation resources on the grid continues to increase.

A Capacity Advisory provides advance notice to PJM Members of times when available generation is forecasted to approach the demand requirement, which is the amount of electricity supply required to serve demand for each zone in PJM. 

This provides advanced communication about system conditions for increased coordination.

Like a Cold or Hot Weather Alert and issued up to five days in advance, a Capacity Advisory anticipates PJM actions such as:

-- Recalling or rescheduling of generation and/or transmission maintenance outages

-- Notifying neighboring grids to prepare for decreased imports from PJM

-- Alerting PJM Members to update their information about generator availability, fuel supply concerns, environmental constraints and more

-- Multiple regions have similar capacity procedures in place.

These changes to PJM Manual 13 (PDF) are aimed at maintaining reliability and were endorsed by stakeholders at the June 24 meeting of the Markets and Reliability Committee. They became effective immediately.

Click Here for the PJM announcement.

The PJM Interconnection coordinates the wholesale electricity grid and markets for all or parts of 13 states—Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia—plus the District of Columbia.

(Photo: Data centers can have between 100 and 200 diesel backup generators for each hyperscale facility.)

Resource Link:

-- PennEnvironment Offers A.I. Data Center Resources: True Costs Of Data Centers To The Environment, Consumers; Impacts Of Dirty Backup Generators; Slowing Transition To Clean Energy  [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week:

-- Hundreds Of Residents From Communities Across PA Dealing With A.I. Data Center Development Rally At State Capitol To Support Bipartisan Legislation To Enact A 3-Year A.I.  Data Center Moratorium  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Passed 20 A.I. Data Center Bills, Many By Lopsided Bipartisan Votes; PA Senate Acts On Tax Changes  [PaEN]

-- PA House Passes Bill Giving Individual Municipalities Authority To Pause Consideration Of A.I. Data Center Proposals For 6 Months  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Nearly Unanimously Passes Bill To Repeal State Data Center Computer Equipment Sales Tax Exemption  [PaEN]  

-- PA House Passes Bill Limiting State Data Center Sales Tax Exemption To Those Developers Following Gov. Shapiro's Responsible Infrastructure Development Standards  [PaEN]   

-- PA House Unanimously Passes Bill To Eliminate 6% Gross Receipts Tax On Electric Bills, Fix Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater Utility Ratemaking Process To Limit Shareholder Profits  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Holds Next Generation Capacity Auction June 30, Results To Be Announced July 14  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Adds New Emergency Procedures To Deal With Strained Grid: A Capacity Advisory; Directive For Data Centers To Use Backup Generators  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Hot Weather Alert For June 29 In Western Region, June 30 to July 3 For Entire Service Area; 5th Alert This Season  [PaEN]

-- Lt. Gov. Davis Brings Together Utility Industry Experts To Highlight Solutions To Rising Energy Costs

-- Senate Democratic Policy Committee Holds Hearing On Solutions To Lower Consumer Electric Bills

NewsClips:

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Groups Push PA Lawmakers To Pass HB 1834 To Protect Ratepayers, Regulate A.I. Data Centers

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Passes Bill With $1.7 Billion Tax Cut On Electricity, Reins In Public Utility Company Profits [Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater] By Setting New Rate Formula

-- House Unanimously Passed Bill To Base All Electric, Natural Gas, Water And Wastewater Rates On A Market-Based Return On Equity To Address  Increasing Utility Bills  [House Bill 2224]

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Project Hazelnut A.I. Data Center Offers $10,000 To Hazle Twp. Households As An Incentive To Approve The Plan  [4,505 Households In Twp. - $45 Million]

-- Inquirer: Constellation Energy Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Engineer Manager Indicted On Federal Insider Trading Charges Of Illegally Profiting On Stock Options Related To The Plant Reopening

-- PennLive: Amid Growing Voter Outcry, A.I. Data Centers Have Emerged As An Election Issue For PA Lawmakers

-- PennLive: Massive 3,200 Acre Homer City A.I. Data Center Campus, 4.5 GW Gas Power Plant Swallowing Tiny PA Coal Town In Indiana County: ‘It Will Devour The Future’

-- Republican Herald: Mount Carmel Area Residents Concerned About Data Centers Launch New Grassroots Group Aimed At Giving Coal Region Communities A Stronger Voice 

-- PennLive: Western PA Coal Towns Are Ground Zero For A.I. Data Centers: ‘A Boom Coming’ 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: How A.I. Data Centers Lost The PR War And What It Means For Business

-- AP: A.I. Is An Energy And Water Hog, Here’s What You Can Do To Counter That

-- Utility Dive: Grid Operators Making Significant Progress In Generation Queues, But No Evidence Requests Are Being Processed More Quickly; Fast-Track Policies Promote Fossil-Fuel Heavy Generation 

-- Utility Dive: North American Electric Reliability Corp: Deployable Generation Reserves Shrinking As Coal, Gas-Fired Power Plants Forced Outage Rates Rise

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Orders Keeping Power Plants Open Beyond Their Closure Dates Are Incurring $550 Million In Added Costs, What Are The Benefits?

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Offers $17.5 Billion In Loans For 10 Westinghouse Nuclear Power Reactors; Westinghouse Has Signed Letters Of Intent With 7 Partners, Each With Identified Project Sites 

-- Wall Street Journal: A.I. Data Center Boom Sparking Third Wave Of Inflation - Cost Of Computer Chips - Following Energy, Labor & Constructions Costs

[Posted: June 26, 2026]  PA Environment Digest