May 2 (Reuters) - PJM Interconnection, the biggest U.S. power grid operator, said on Thursday that it expects to meet this year's summer demand but generator retirements and increasing demand persistently erode reserve levels for the operator.
The power grid operator noted that in cases of extreme heat and significant generator outages, tighter reserves could prompt the use of demand response or additional emergency procedures.
PJM faces a reduction in available generation resources compared to the previous year.
About 182,500 megawatt (MW) of installed generating capacity is accessible to meet customer demands, whereas last summer, there was approximately 186,500 MW of installed capacity
“We plan throughout the year to make sure we have enough resources to serve load at the hottest time of the year,” PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana said in a statement.
“But we are concerned that new generation is not coming online fast enough to replace retiring resources, and that subsequent years may be more challenging.”
PJM also expects higher peak demand for electricity this summer at approximately 151,000 MW versus the 2023 summer peak load of 147,000 MW. The operator's all-time, one-day highest power use was at 165,563 MW, which was recorded in the summer of 2006.
One megawatt can power around 1,000 U.S. homes on a typical day. (Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry)
