PJM steps up emergency measures to avert blackouts

PJM, the largest power grid operator in the United States, said Friday that it has moved under a federal alert to reduce electricity use across its territory as it faces generator outages, heavy transmission line loading, and a sharp rise in air conditioning demand during an extended heat wave. The grid operator said utilities were instructed to cut power to customers enrolled in programs that reduce consumption during emergencies. PJM serves about 67 million people across the MidAtlantic, parts of the South, and Washington, D.C. Wholesale electricity prices in northern Virginia, home to a major concentration of data centers, have climbed above $2,000 per megawatt hour this week, far above the roughly $40 per MWh level seen when the grid is not under stress. Analysts said the increase reflects the higher cost of moving electricity through congested highvoltage lines.