Midwest Grid Struggles Amid Heat Wave But Navigates Crisis with Demand Response Programs
The recent heat wave pushed the PJM Interconnection, which manages the electric grid for the Midwest, to nearly its highest-ever usage level, reaching 163,000 megawatts, just shy of the record 165,000 megawatts. Asim Haque, a senior executive at PJM, noted how close the system came to breaking the peak. Despite the strain, PJM successfully navigated the situation, relying on voluntary demand response programs where customers agreed to lower their electricity consumption. Careful planning is essential, Haque emphasized, to avoid prematurely retiring existing power sources without sufficient replacement infrastructure in place. Ohio’s significant concentration of data centers, exceeding those of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana collectively, adds considerable load to the grid. Recognizing this demand, Ohio’s legislature has begun implementing policy adjustments through House Bill 15. These changes aim to accelerate the approval process for electric generators and transmission infrastructure projects, enabling faster responses to growing electricity needs.
