PJM Interconnection has issued a Maximum Generation Alert for Oct. 13 as the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order effective Oct. 13–16 that covers parts of the PJM region and its 13 states and Washington, D.C.
PJM said the Maximum Generation Alert and concurrent Load Management Alert were issued ahead of unusually warm fall weather and planned maintenance outages that could tighten supplies; the operator also extended a Capacity Advisory for Oct. 12–14, listing recalled generation outages and forecasting peak loads above 100,000 MW for the period.
The Department of Energy posted Order No. 202-26-50 authorizing temporary measures from Oct. 13 through Oct. 16, including “providing temporary relief from environmental permit restrictions for generating units” and “authorizing PJM to direct data centers and other Large Load customers to switch to backup generation resources, if necessary,” the order states.
PJM’s Inside Lines bulletin said the Maximum Generation Alert notifies owners to defer maintenance so more units and transmission lines remain available and warns neighboring operators that exports from PJM may be curtailed to preserve internal supply.
Forecasts cited by PJM showed system demand estimates of 103,125 MW, 112,447 MW and 112,282 MW for the affected days; the operator recalled generation outage tickets and noted roughly 62,000 MW of planned generation outages during the period that it was trying to reschedule or cancel.
The DOE emergency order was requested by PJM and gives operators extra flexibility “to respond to changing system conditions,” the PJM bulletin said, while the department’s document spells out the specific authorities being granted for the four-day window.
This use of a DOE 202(c) order follows earlier mid‑year interventions: energy and industry coverage shows the department has previously granted PJM similar emergency relief during heat waves and tight summer supply periods to maintain reliability.
Why it matters for businesses: the order explicitly allows PJM to call backup generators at large facilities, a step that could affect commercial customers with on-site generation or demand-response contracts. Policymakers and data-center operators have previously objected to and negotiated the terms of such actions, making the move a notable precedent in grid emergency management.
Sources
- PJM Inside Lines — announced the Maximum Generation Alert for Oct. 13, extended a Capacity Advisory and described recalled outages, forecasted demand and that PJM requested a DOE emergency order.
- U.S. Department of Energy — published Order No. 202-26-50 effective Oct. 13–16 authorizing temporary environmental relief for generators and allowing PJM to direct data centers and other large loads to use backup generation if needed.
