Energy Department approves PJM request to require backup power for large data centers during this week’s heat wave

PJM Interconnection, which manages electricity delivery for a multi-state portion of the U.S. grid, received federal approval to increase reliance on backup power from large electricity consumers during the current heat wave, according to Kentucky Lantern. The move is intended to reduce the risk of capacity shortfalls when electricity demand climbs and power supply tightens, especially during the hottest hours of the day.

The approval was issued through an order signed by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, the outlet reported on Tuesday. The order allows PJM to require data centers and other large customers to activate backup generators, an operational change designed to add generation capacity when the grid is under stress from extreme temperatures.

Kentucky Lantern described the PJM footprint as spanning Maryland, Washington, D.C., and a dozen other states, making clear the action is regional rather than confined to one jurisdiction. The order’s practical effect is that certain large customers must have backup generation ready and must be able to bring it online during the heat wave period in line with PJM’s dispatch or reliability instructions.

While the federal action is directed at PJM and large power users, Kentucky stakeholders could be affected indirectly depending on whether local utilities and large industrial loads participate in PJM’s planning and operating framework. Utilities with PJM-linked service obligations, and large customers that use grid power and maintain backup generation, would likely be looking for operational guidance from PJM and their electricity providers on how the new requirements will be implemented during this week’s demand peak.

The reporting did not specify the duration of the requirement beyond this week’s heat wave window, nor did it provide additional technical details such as generator testing rules, fuel logistics expectations, or enforcement mechanisms for noncompliance. Those specifics matter for public safety and for generator readiness, particularly during emergencies when traffic, staffing, and fuel availability can become constraints.

The order also comes as questions about electricity reliability have intensified amid more frequent extreme weather events. Large electricity consumers such as data centers are a growing portion of regional demand, and backup generation is one lever grid operators can use when demand surges faster than additional generation can be brought online.

For local governments and emergency managers, the development raises the importance of coordination around the safe operation of backup generators, including emissions controls, noise impacts, and fire and carbon monoxide risk management. If PJM’s directives lead more sites to run backup equipment for longer or during tighter windows, utilities and site operators typically need clear procedures for staffing and compliance.

PJM and participating utilities will likely translate the federal approval into operational instructions for affected customers and into reliability planning for future heat events. Kentucky Lantern’s report frames the authorization as a reliability tool during a time-limited extreme-weather period, but the durability of the approach and how it will be expanded or adjusted will depend on how the grid performs and what follow-up guidance is issued.