PJM forecasts plenty of electric supply this summer in its region

In its summer forecast for electricity demand, Electric grid operator PJM Interconnection confirms that there is enough supply to meet summer electricity needs for the region it serves in the Eastern U.S.

PJM has approximately 185,000 MW of installed generating capacity available for the 13 states and Washington DC – with sufficient resources available in reserve to cover generation for unanticipated changes in demand. That is more than enough to meet the forecasted summer peak demand for electricity of approximately 149,000 MW or 157,000 MW at the high end of the range.

“PJM understands the critical importance that electricity plays in the daily lives of the 65 million people in our footprint. We prepare for summer operations throughout the year, knowing electricity use is normally highest during this season,” PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana said. “Reliability is a primary focus for us.”

In contrast, last year’s peak demand was approximately 149,000 MW, so PJM is expecting similar demand. One megawatt can power about 800 homes.

PJM has worked with transmission and generation owners throughout the spring to ensure that critical maintenance and system improvements were completed. Further, PJM continues to conduct fuel inventories every two weeks and monitor results for the generation fleet.

“Predicting the demand for electricity helps PJM ensure that consumers have a reliable supply of power today and in the years ahead,” Mike Bryson, senior vice president – Operations, said. “Load forecasting is something we do routinely, for both short- and long-term periods, to help ensure an adequate supply of power for reliable service at the most reasonable cost.”

PJM serves the states of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.