Early Summer Heat Tests PJM Grid: A Call for Resilience
- Timothy Beggans
- Jun 26
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 10
A scorching heat wave in June 2025 pushed the PJM Interconnection, serving over 65 million people across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, to the brink. With triple-digit heat indices in cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., PJM issued a rare Maximum Generation Emergency/Alert on June 24–25 as demand neared 160,000 MW—close to the grid’s all-time summer peak. This is unprecedented for June, a month typically far from peak load season.
The heat wave, driven by intensifying climate patterns, signals a new reality: extreme weather is arriving earlier, lasting longer, and hitting harder. PJM’s generation mix—natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewables—held firm, but vulnerabilities surfaced. Wholesale prices spiked, and operators relied heavily on load forecasts, flexible assets, and demand response to avoid outages. The margin for error is razor-thin.
This event highlights three urgent priorities for the energy sector:
Boost Demand Flexibility: Dynamic pricing and smart tech can empower consumers and businesses to cut usage during peak stress, easing grid pressure.
Modernize the Grid: Investments in transmission upgrades, energy storage, and Grid-Forming Inverter (GFM) technology are critical to integrate renewables and enhance reliability.
Build Climate Resilience: Tools like NOAA’s HeatRisk can enable proactive planning for a warming world, ensuring grids are ready for intensifying extremes.
Extreme heat is no longer a future concern—it’s here. PJM’s response showed preparedness, but the energy value chain must evolve to meet rising challenges. From grid upgrades to consumer engagement, the path to resilience starts now.
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