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Power Grid Operator Calls for Energy Conservation, Lowers Voltage: ; Not a Supply Problem, PJM Says, but an Issue of; Not Wanting to Over- Stress

Posted on: Saturday, 30 July 2005, 00:00 CDT

Regional power grid operator PJM Interconnection LLC has asked electric customers in the Mid-Atlantic region to conserve energy and lowered the voltage to certain customers by 5 percent.

PJM, which coordinates the movement of electricity between 13 states ranging from Illinois to North Carolina and serves about 51 million people, said the reductions in parts of its territory were meant to "maintain system reliability in the face of the intense heat wave."

The lowered voltage is not noticeable to most customers, the grid operator said.

PJM has called for load management - where certain customers have agreed to special electric rates in return for less power consumption when called upon - in parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

West Virginia customers have not been asked to conserve.

"This is not because of supply, but because of use on the grid and not wanting to over-stress it," said PJM spokesman Ray Dotter.

The grid operator asked consumers to keep curtains and blinds closed to keep cooler air inside; postpone the use of major appliances like stoves, dishwashers and dryers until the cooler evening hours; keep air conditioner thermostats at a higher-than- usual level; and turn off nonessential electric appliances.

Tuesday afternoon's world-record peak load of about 135,000 megawatts was 3,700 megawatts higher than PJM's predicted summer peak, and was within 18 percent of the maximum generation capacity the company expected from its 350 members.

PJM prefers to keep a 15 percent reserve margin to provide a "cushion" for unexpected usage increases or equipment problems.

One megawatt is on average enough electricity to power about 800 homes, according to PJM.

"This is not a generation issue," said Dotter. "It's just that we are seeing heavy flows in the East, actually running ahead of yesterday's levels."

"PJM will continue to monitor conditions and will request the public's assistance as necessary," the organization said in a release Wednesday. "PJM is communicating about the situation with state government officials."

Valley Forge, Pa.-based PJM is the world's largest regional power grid operator. It coordinates the movement of electricity in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Tuesday's peak beat the earlier high of 130,574 megawatts set last week. Before this year's scorching summer, the high for the same geographical region was 130,309 megawatts in 2002, according to PJM.

Meanwhile, the total U.S. electric output set a new record last week with 95,259 gigawatt hours, 5 percent higher than the previous record set in August 2002, the Edison Electric Institute in Washington, D.C., announced Wednesday.

"The fact that this country's electric companies are having to run their plants full-bore to keep up with demand underscores the need for a forward-thinking comprehensive national energy policy," Tom Kuhn, the association's president, said in a news release.

PJM has outlined a plan for up to 1,000 miles of new power transmission line construction, costing as much as $3.9 billion to help relieve congestion on the grid and increase reliability.

Dubbed "Project Mountaineer," PJM says two or more new backbone transmission lines would enhance access to energy from currently operating and future power plants near the coal fields of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, and would reduce bottlenecks along the way.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail

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