PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation, Load Management Alerts For Sept. 17 For Entire Service Area Due To Hot Weather, 35,000 MW Of Maintenance Outages; Requested DOE Emergency Order

On September 16, the PJM Interconnection regional electric grid operator issued a Maximum Generation Alert and Load Management Alert for September 17 ahead of unusually warm September weather and planned maintenance outages for both generation resources and transmission.

The actions came without the usual Hot Weather Alert warnings first.

Above-normal temperatures are forecast across much of the PJM footprint, with load expected to peak at 133,355 MW on Sept. 17 (forecast as of 1 p.m., Sept. 16), driving elevated electricity demand.

Tighter system conditions are also being driven by exports needed by regions to the south and west, which are experiencing even hotter weather; planned transmission outages; and over 35,000 MW in planned generation outages scheduled for the beginning of maintenance season. 

For perspective, during the peak heat of summer, when planned outages are restricted, generation outages peaked at about 19,000 MW on July 5.

This alert does not require any action from customers.

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 a Maximum Generation Emergency 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.

DOE Orders Requested

PJM has also requested a combined emergency order, to be effective through Sept. 18, from the U.S. Department of Energy. The order gives PJM operators additional flexibility to respond to changing system conditions by:

-- Providing temporary relief from environmental permit restrictions for generating units

-- Authorizing PJM to direct data centers and other large load customers to switch to backup generation resources, if necessary

9th Hot Weather Event

This is the ninth 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, July 14 to 17, August 9 to 11, and August 31 to September 4.

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.

Related Articles This Week:

-- PUC Study Warns Rapid Data Center Growth Will Cause PJM Electric Grid To Fail Reliability Standard In 2027, If No Further Actions Taken  [PaEN] 

-- PPL Electric Files Proposal With PUC To Make Electric Transmission Costs More Transparent, Establishes New Way To Assign Costs Incurred For Data Centers To Those Customers  [PaEN]  

-- PA GreenGov Council, Penn State Sustainability Host 2026 Sustainability Week Oct. 5-9 With Timely Webinars Exploring The Future Of Pennsylvania's Energy  [PaEN] 

-- Solar Energy Canopy Installation Nearly Complete At PA Turnpike’s Headquarters Building In Dauphin County  [PaEN] 

-- Commonwealth Financing Authority Awards $301,473 Solar For Schools Grant To Allegheny Valley School District In Allegheny County For Installation Of Solar Energy Facility

-- Allegheny County, City Of Pittsburgh, Solar United Neighbors Launch Switch Together To Help Local Homeowners Reduce Energy Costs By Going Solar  [PaEN]  

-- Penn State Extension: Oct. 22 Webinar On How Large-Scale Solar Energy Facilities Are Regulated By Local Governments  [PaEN] 

-- DEP, PHFA Host Sept. 24 Webinar On New Homeowner Energy Efficiency Loan Program To Reduce Your Energy Costs  [PaEN] 

-- Report: Winter Heating Oil Costs Expected To Increase Over 31%, Electric By 9%, Natural Gas By 5.8%  [PaEN]   

NewsClips:

-- Utility Dive: PA PUC Report: PJM Faces 2030 Reliability Crisis If Data Center Load Growth Continues; PJM Agrees Demand Growing Faster Than The Ability To Build New Power Sources

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PUC Report Warns Of More Power Outages As A.I. Data Centers Surge In Pennsylvania 

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: A.I. Data Center Growth Could Mean Blackouts In Coming Year, PA PUC Report Says

-- The Center Square: PUC Warns A.I. Data Center Demand Threatens Electricity Grid Reliability

-- PA Senate Republican Statement On PUC Power Grid Report [No Solutions Included]

-- PA House Republican Policy Committee Hearing: ‘Unleash’ Pennsylvania Natural Gas To Lower Costs, Strengthen Reliability  [Nothing About Pausing Data Center Development] 

[Posted: September 16, 2026] PA Environment Digest