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PJM Interconnection: New All-Time Peak Electricity Demand Possible Jan. 20-22; PJM Working With Gas Generators To Try To Get Them Online Before Extreme Cold Hits

On January 17, the PJM Interconnection announced it has implemented a number of procedures to enhance the flexibility for operators to react to forecast and real-time system conditions.

With the coldest weather since 2015 moving into the PJM footprint, electricity demand on Tuesday and Wednesday is expected to approach PJM’s all-time winter peak of 143,295 MW, set on Feb. 20, 2015.

Cold Weather Alert

PJM has issued a Cold Weather Alert for the entire PJM footprint for Jan. 20–22. PJM will continue to evaluate weather forecasts and extend the alert beyond Wednesday if necessary.

A Cold Weather Alert is a routine procedure PJM issues in advance of significantly cold weather conditions expected for all or parts of the region PJM serves.

When a Cold Weather Alert is issued, PJM communicates with generation owners to tell them to be prepared to call in additional staff to get all units running for when electricity use begins to increase.

Generation owners must take extra care to maintain equipment so that it does not freeze in the cold and are reminded to provide updated information to PJM on limitations to their units, including time required to start and the maximum and minimum times that their units can run once started.

A Cold Weather Alert can also be used to defer or reschedule planned generation maintenance outages and/or transmission outages and/or recall transmission/generator outages, if necessary.

Conservative Operations

PJM has also issued a Conservative Operations declaration, which will allow PJM to commit gas generators through Wednesday morning.

PJM is working with gas generators to get them online in advance of the approaching cold weather and the holiday weekend.

PJM put this process in place as a result of lessons learned from Winter Storm Elliott over the Christmas holiday in 2022 and other extreme weather events.

There are any number of weather, environmental, physical security or cybersecurity events that may require PJM to operate more conservatively.

When PJM declares Conservative Operations, system operators have more flexibility to make decisions to maintain reliability by increasing reserves and/or reducing power flows on selected facilities.

Look for updates as we move into the heart of the cold weather next week.

Click Here for PJM’s announcement.

[Editor’s Note: During Winter Storm Elliott PJM Interconnection reported 70% of the electric generation plant outages that failed to bring power to the electric grid were natural gas-fired power plants that brought PJM to the brink of rolling blackouts. Read more here.

[While some improvements have been made to natural gas infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather conditions, in November the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Winter Reliability Assessment said natural gas electric generation “is threatened this winter by ongoing concerns with natural gas production and delivery in extreme conditions.” Read more here.

[During extreme cold in December 2022 other parts of natural gas infrastructure experienced significant problems--

-- Energy Transfer Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant experienced a Christmas Day explosion in Smith Township, Washington County Read more here.;

-- Hyperion Midstream (Olympus Energy) a section of natural gas pipeline under construction broke free from cribbing, slid down a hill and crashed into and through a home in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County Read more here.

-- MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC pipeline compressor stations experienced a spill of an estimated 10,000 gallons of natural gas condensate in Robinson Township, Washington County Read more here.;

-- CNX Oak Springs Natural Gas Pipeline Pigging Station had a release of 1.1 million cubic feet of natural gas in South Franklin Township, Washington County Read more here.]

Extreme Cold Alert!

-- Public Utility Commission Urges Consumers To Prepare For Extreme Cold Next Week [PaEN]

-- Shapiro Administration Urges Readiness In Advance Of Dangerous Cold Weather

-- PJM Interconnection: New All-Time Peak Electricity Demand Possible Jan. 20-22; PJM Working With Gas Generators To Try To Get Them Online Before Extreme Cold Hits [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Threatens To Pull Pennsylvania Out Of PJM If It Does Not Protect Consumers Against Soaring Power Prices [PaEN]

Resource Links:

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem [PaEN]

-- PUC Invites Stakeholder Comments On The Issue Of The Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania [Background On Electricity Supply Issue] [PaEN]

-- PUC Urges Natural Gas Customers To Explore Ways To Reduce Heating Costs; All But One Major Gas Utility Has Increased Cost Of Gas In PA [PaEN]

-- PUC: Natural Gas Distribution Companies Prepare For Winter - Gas Consumption Expected To Decrease 1.8%, Cost For Residential Customers To Increase 1% [PaEN]

-- PUC Encourages Consumers To Prepare For Dec. 1 Electricity Price Changes; Rates Will Vary From 8.4% Decrease To 31.2% Increase [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: North American Electric Reliability Corp: Natural Gas Electric Generation Is Threatened This Winter By Ongoing Concerns About Gas Production, Delivery In Extreme Weather Conditions [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Winter Outlook: Adequate Power Supplies Available Under Normal Conditions; PJM Delays Next Power Auction After Prices Spike [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania’s Electric Grid Is Dependent On One Fuel To Generate 59% Of Our Electricity; Market Moving To Renewables + Storage [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 11 to 17 - More Abandoned Shale Gas, Than Conventional Wells So Far In 2025; Failed Act 2 Cleanup; Acid Forming Rock; Expired Permits [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Diversified Production LLC Starts 2025 With 11 Violations For Abandoning, Not Plugging Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - January 18 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 107 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 18 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

What The Shale Gas, Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind:

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Diversified Production LLC Starts 2025 With 11 Violations For Abandoning, Not Plugging Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]

-- What The Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells On Federal Lands - Shenango River Lake, Allegheny National Forest [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Diversified Production LLC Failed To Plug 2 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells For 42 Months + At Least 9 Other Shale Gas Wells Abandoned [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Nucomer Energy LLC Fails To Restore Shale Gas Well Pad, Water Impoundment In Forest County For More Than 12 Years After Drilling Was Completed [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Issues 10 Violations To Big Dog Energy, LLC, Diversified Production LLC For Abandoning Shale Gas Wells; Violations For Shale Gas Abandonments More Than Doubled In 2024 [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Registration Now Open! 2025 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference At Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Online Feb. 27 [PaEN]

-- Rep. Vitali Introduces Bill To Ban Road Dumping Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater, Supported By The Shapiro Administration [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Oil & Gas Companies Need Greater Incentives To Cap Their Old Wells [Higher Well Plugging Bonds Needed To Keep Number Of Abandoned Wells From Rising]

-- Rep. Vitali Introduces Bill To Establish DEP Environmental Justice Permit Review Program In Law, Analyze Cumulative Impacts Of Pollution From Facilities, Supported By DEP [PaEN]

-- EPA Issues Permit To Seneca Resources Company For Elk County Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well [PaEN]

-- TECfusions Unveils Massive 1,400-Acre Data Center Project With 3 Gigawatts Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Generation In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Threatens To Pull Pennsylvania Out Of PJM If It Does Not Protect Consumers Against Soaring Power Prices [PaEN]

-- PUC Commissioner Kathryn Zerfuss Appointed To National Committees On Natural Gas, Pipeline Safety

-- PennTAP: Small & Mid-Size Industries Must Complete An Energy Technical Assessment Report To Be Eligible For RISE PA Decarbonization Grants [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts Jan. 24 Webinar Q&A On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program [PaEN]

-- NASEO Hosts Jan. 27 Webinar On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program, PA Energy Programs For Industry [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center Hosts Jan. 31 Webinar On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program For Industry [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- PennLive Letter: There Must Be More Oversight Of Dangerous Fracking Wastewater In PA - By Dr. Robert Little