Электросети уязвимы от экстремальных погодных условий, с неseasonally warm early fall conditions prompting the Energy Department to issue a precautionary order this week. The order targets 13 Mid-Atlantic states and Washington D. C., aiming to streamline backup power deployment from Tuesday through Friday.
Issued in response to a request from PJM Interconnection, the measure allows the grid operator to activate diesel generators and bypass certain environmental permit restrictions if necessary. This action comes as demand surges during fall's onset, a period when power plants are traditionally offline for maintenance. Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized the order ensures "secure electricity" by making additional generation available as needed.
While temperatures reached the upper 80s and 90s across the region Wednesday, officials stress the order is a proactive tool, not an indication of imminent emergencies. PJM spokesman Jeff Shields noted planned maintenance season now presents risks previously seen only in summer and winter. Utility companies will keep customers informed of specific outages, though no widespread disruptions were reported.
The Department of Energy has issued similar orders at least nine times this year without needing to deploy the measures. The order remains a "last resort" for grid reliability, allowing PJM to direct high-usage sites like data centers to switch to backup power if required.
Источник: New York Times Business · Сводку подготовил HeadlinesBriefing