PJM requested and received a combined emergency order, to be effective July 15 through July 21, from the U.S. Department of Energy for temporary relief from environmental permit restrictions for generating units and/or to direct backup generation resources to operate, if required at all.
A Maximum Generation Alert is targeted at transmission/generation owners, who then determine if any maintenance or testing on equipment can be deferred or canceled.
By deferring maintenance, the units stay online and continue to produce energy that is needed to serve electricity demand within the PJM region.
This alert is also used to notify neighboring systems that electricity exports from PJM may be curtailed, serving as a procedural step that allows those neighboring regions to plan accordingly.
PJM issues this alert at the same time as a Load Management Alert, which gives advance notification that load management action may be declared, including Pre-Emergency and Emergency Demand Response.
Demand Response programs pay customers in advance who sign up to allow reduction of their electricity use in emergencies.
A Hot Weather Alert is in effect for the entire region PJM serves through at least July 17.
A Hot Weather Alert is an established procedure PJM issues ahead of forecasted hot weather and/or high humidity to prepare transmission and generation personnel and facilities for expected increases in electricity demand, or load.
This is the sixth Hot Weather Alert of the summer. The others were issued for May 18-20, June 5-6, June 11-12, June 18, June 29 to July 5.
New Record Peak
PJM said during a recent prolonged heat wave, PJM reached an all-time peak load estimated at 168,158 MW on July 2, according to preliminary figures that factor in demand response programs that serve to suppress electricity demand. PJM’s previous peak record was 165,563 MW, set on Aug. 2, 2006.
Forecasted Peaks Revised Upward
As of 1 p.m. on July 14, 2026, PJM is expecting to serve the following approximate peak loads through July 17:
July 14 - 153,099 MW Original Peak: 151,105 MW
July 15 - 164,553 MW Original Peak: 162,699 MW
July 16 - 161,295 MW Original Peak: 160,893 MW
July 17 - 152,867 MW Original Peak: 154,942 MW
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.
Resource Links:
-- Budget First Look: At Best A Cost To Carry Environmental Budget, Supports Oil & Gas Program Operations, Several Data Center Provisions But Not A Moratorium Or Pause [PaEN]
-- A.I. Data Center Legislative Scorecard: Pennsylvania Failed To Finalize Meaningful Legislation On Energy Affordability, To Increase Electric Generation And Give Communities The Tools They Need To Cope With A.I. Proposals [PaEN]
-- Environmental/Energy Groups: Final State Budget Fails To Address Critical A.I. Data Center Issues And Skyrocketing Energy Bills [PaEN]
-- PA Environmental Council: New State Budget Leaves A.I. Data Centers Unresolved, Big Win For Advanced Transmission Line Tech, Modest Progress On Other Energy Issues [PaEN]
-- More Reactions: Final State Budget Fails To Take On Growing Concerns About Energy Affordability And Keeping The Lights On [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- PJM Data Center-Driven Power Auction Prices Limited By $325/MW-Day Cap; Without Cap Would Have Been 70% Higher In PA, Most Areas; Missed Reliability Target By 6,831 MW [PaEN]
-- PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation Alert For July 15; Requested & Received DOE Order To Put Data Centers On Backup Generators, Exceed Environmental Standards If Needed From July 15 To 21 [PaEN]
-- PJM Issues Hot Weather Alert For July 14 - 17; PJM Confirmed It Reached New All-Time Peak Load Demand 2,595 MW Over Previous Record [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Reuters: PJM Power Grid Auction Hits Prices Limit, Falls Short Of Reliability Goal
-- PA Capital-Star: PJM Interconnection Electricity Price Hits Cap Again In Latest Auction
-- New York Times: A.I. Data Centers Add Billions In Power Costs In PJM Region
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA State Budget Saves $500 Million Data Center Sales Tax Exemption Amid Growing Opposition To A.I. Boom
-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: RISE PA Decarbonization Grants Expected To Reduce Industrial Air Pollution In Pennsylvania
-- The Allegheny Front: Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Authorize Balcony Solar To Offset Electricity Bills
[Posted: July 14, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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