PJM, a vast electric grid that stretches from Illinois to New Jersey, has declared a rare, system-wide emergency and is ordering some customers to curtail demand as a vast winter storm sends power use soaring.
Grid operator PJM Interconnection LLC declared a Stage 2 emergency, which requires customers across its entire system who’ve agreed to curtail power during times of extreme need to do so. Hours later, PJM also appealed to people to look into “conserving electricity as much as possible” during the holiday weekend from 4 a.m. Eastern on Saturday to 10 a.m. the next day because of frigid conditions.