PJM said 15,000 MW of the 61,000 MW of electric generation unavailable to respond to energy demands were unexpected power plant outages. The remainder of the outages were the result of normal planned maintenance.
PJM spokesperson Jeff Shields said the planned generation outages were fairly evenly spread across all generator fuel types and technologies.
Shields said more information about the 15,000 MW of unplanned outages should be available at the November 5 meeting of the PJM Operating Committee.
Summary of Oct. 13-14 Events
David Souder, Executive Director for PJM System Operations provided this summary of events during the October 13-14 Maximum Generation Alerts.
The end of summer and the transition into fall usually offers the electric grid a chance to catch its collective breath and prepare for the challenges to come in the winter season ahead.
Owners of electricity generators and transmission lines use the milder weather in spring and fall, when electricity demand typically moderates, to shut down temporarily for needed maintenance or upgrades.
PJM has long relied on these “shoulder seasons” to provide a reliable supply of electricity to its 13 states and Washington, D.C., by proactively planning and coordinating equipment outages with its member companies – even with a significant portion of the generation fleet out of service for days or weeks.
But the once-dependable reprieve is not what it used to be.
That’s in part because the profile of our customers is changing.
‘Normal’ Grid Operations Are Changing
Most of the new, rapidly growing energy demand is from data centers and other energy-intensive Large Load customers, and their consumption does not fluctuate significantly with the weather; it is a 12-month 24/7 phenomenon.
That expanding demand is outpacing new transmission and electricity supply coming onto the system.
In addition, unseasonably hot or cold weather now arrives early for summer and winter and stays late.
The result is that periods the grid once relied on for maintenance and preparation can now become periods of significant system stress and reliability risk.
Energy flow on the transmission system is increasing while our generation reserves are dwindling, leaving little room for error.
This week has been a prime example.
Operating With Only 66% Of Generating Capacity
With about more than 61,000 MW of generation outages, PJM was working with only 66% of our generating fleet’s capacity, and the outages were spread across all kinds of resources, from nuclear, coal and gas to wind, solar and hydro.
More than two-thirds of those outages were for planned maintenance or construction, while about 15,000 MW were unplanned outages, according to preliminary data.
PJM was able to work with Member companies to recall, or return to service, about 10,000 MW to get to that 61,000 MW number, but canceling more outages would risk those facilities not being able to properly prepare for winter.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, PJM issued a series of emergency procedures to make sure we had enough generation online to serve unseasonably warm, but not extreme, temperatures.
The U.S. Department of Energy, for the ninth time this year, issued an order to allow PJM to direct backup generation at data centers and other Large Load electricity customers to operate to avoid outages to other customers.
While PJM did not use that authority and has not done so to date, it remains a valuable tool to help protect regular customers.
9 Hot Weather Episodes
PJM was able to operate reliably through these challenging conditions this week, as we have throughout the year:
-- In April, PJM declared a Hot Weather Alert for its Atlantic coast territory, from New Jersey to North Carolina, when temperatures surged into the 90s.
-- In May, a heat wave covered most of the PJM territory for two days and required PJM to summon out-of-service generators and transmission equipment back online.
-- And then came September, with two bouts of hot weather just as summer was coming to a close
In the midst of all this, PJM set a new preliminary record for peak electricity use on July 2 at approximately 168,000 MW.
In many of these instances, PJM called on Demand Response to help blunt spikes in electricity demand and ensure transmission security during the hottest days, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening, when solar generation is fading but electricity demand isn’t.
PJM has also had to restrict electricity exports to neighboring systems during this time.
Demand Response customers are paid in advance to reduce their electricity use during times of system stress; they provide a valuable service to help control demand on peak days.
Increasing Use Of Demand Response
Previously, Demand Response was called infrequently.
In 2026 alone, Demand Response customers, who range from individual homeowners to large industrial plants, have been activated on nine different days, including Oct. 13 and 14.
That makes 15 days PJM activated Demand Response between 2025 and 2026, compared with eight days between 2015 and 2024.
PJM and its Members, in coordination with state and federal officials, have relied on these emergency procedures and orders from the U.S. Department of Energy to keep the lights on for all or parts of the grid when PJM’s generation reserves were critically low or transmission constraints were high because of work-related outages.
The DOE issued orders that allowed generators to temporarily run outside of their environmental permit limits in times of emergency and directed data centers to run on their backup generation if directed by PJM to lessen electricity demand.
These tools are important, but they alone may not be enough.
New Transmission Projects
Equipment outages will continue to be necessary in shoulder seasons to build multiple, critical transmission projects.
Much of the new construction involves upgrading or replacing existing lines to reliably bring energy into areas where generators are retiring and to serve the load that is growing throughout our footprint, because Large Loads are not confined to one area.
Those transmission projects are one part of the puzzle, but building new generation is critical.
To this end, PJM has:
-- Reformed and streamlined the engineering process for new generation sources to connect with the grid, and we are now pushing to shorten that process even further
-- Opened a process to match new Large Load customers with new supply resources
-- Received conditional FERC approval for a “Reliability Backstop Procurement” process to secure more generation to fill the supply shortfall in the short term
-- Opened an accelerated process to connect large, state-sponsored projects that can provide reliable supply as soon as possible
PJM has also sharpened our forecasting process so that we understand just how much proposed Large Load demand is likely to materialize and when, in addition to the approximately 11,000 MW of data center load already on the system.
While this work is continuing, you may notice the extra activity and emergency procedures happening to balance our system in this new reality, until the necessary generation and transmission can be placed in-service, which is not expected to occur in the immediate future.
As you can see, PJM is taking action on many fronts, in collaboration with our partners in industry and state and federal government, to preserve the reliable electric service that the region has enjoyed for decades.
Click Here for the PJM summary.
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 Invites Comments On Regulations To Give Electric Utilities New Tools To Manage Data Centers During Emergency Periods Of Strained Electricity Supplies And Curtailments To Maintain Grid Reliability [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Files Petition To Intervene In PPL Electric Rate Case To Protect Customers From Costs And Reliability Risks From A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold Public Meeting/Hearing Nov. 23 On Chapter 105 Permit For CDE Acquisitions LLC Project Atlas A.I. Data Center Complex In Lehigh County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Individual Stormwater Permit For The CDE Acquisitions LLC Project Atlas A.I. Data Center Complex In Lehigh County [PaEN]
-- DEP Sets Nov. 20 Hearing On Stormwater Permit For PPL Stanton Summit Transmission Line Rebuild In Lackawanna County [PaEN]
-- PJM Extends Maximum Generation Alert To Oct. 14 Due To Unusually Warm Weather, Equipment Outages; Calls On Demand Response To Reduce Power Load [PaEN]
-- PA Capital-Star: PJM Interconnection Issues Alerts Warning Of Tight Electricity Supplies
-- PJM Issues Maximum Generation Alert For Oct. 13 Due To Unusually Warm Weather, Equipment Outages; Received DOE Order To Switch Data Centers To Backup Generation, If Needed [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Altoona Mirror - Robert Swift: PUC/Team PA Report Identifies 21 Possible Sites For A.I. Data Center Power Plants
-- PA Capital-Star: PUC/Team PA Study Identifies 21 Potential Sites For A.I. Data Center Power Plants
-- Axios-Pittsburgh: Report: Pennsylvania Natural Gas Power Generation To Grow 15% By 2030 Due To A.I. Data Center Demand
-- PennLive/LehighValleyLive: A.I. Data Centers Have A Shelf Life, Who Pays For Cleanup In PA When They Close Years From Now?
-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Rejects Most Of PJM’s ‘Bring Your Own Power’ Data Center Load Plan Saying It Intrudes On State Jurisdiction, May Be Discriminatory [FERC Rejected PJM’s Backstop Energy Plan Earlier]
-- Utility Dive: FERC Proposes Further Easing Regulatory Approvals For Natural Gas Pipeline, LNG Export Projects
-- Wall Street Journal: ‘Phantom’ A.I. Data Centers Are Demanding More From The Power Grid Than They Need Leading To Higher Electricity Rates
-- AP: US Is Reviving Shuttered Nuclear Power Plants To Meet Growing A.I. .Data Center Electricity Demand [Includes Three Mile Island]
[Posted: October 16, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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