U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued two emergency orders Tuesday to stabilize the Mid-Atlantic electricity grid ahead of forecasted extreme heat that could push demand to record levels and cause widespread blackouts.
The directives, which went into effect late Tuesday, target the PJM Interconnection, which serves more than 65 million people over 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The emergency actions respond to applications filed by PJM on Saturday and Monday. They will remain in effect until late Friday.
They authorize the dispatch of specific generation units and permit backup resources to operate as a last resort before declaring a higher-level energy emergency….