Electricity demand in the Eastern US surged from heat wave

Electricity demand increased significantly due to a heat wave that affected most of the Eastern US towards the end of June.

Electricity load in the PJM Interconnection, the largest wholesale electricity market in the country, peaked at 160 560 MW on Monday, 23 June, between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm according to data from the EIA’s Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. The load on the grid surpassed PJM’s seasonal peak load forecast of 154 000 MW but remained below the record load of 165 563 MW in 2006 (PJM has expanded numerous times, and this data point is based on PJM’s current footprint). PJM’s footprint includes 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Real-time wholesale electricity prices on June 23 peaked at US$1334/MWh at 7:00 pm according to PJM, compared with peak prices of US$52/MWh on 16 June.

At peak load on 23 June, 44% of PJM’s generation came from natural gas, 20% from nuclear, 19% from coal, and 6% from solar. The remaining generation came from a mix of hydro, wind, petroleum, and other generation. Petroleum generation, which is generally the most expensive form and therefore only used to meet large demand loads, was three times greater compared with the same hour the day prior.

As the hot weather moved eastward, demand peaked the following day in ISO-NE – the integrated grid operating in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Peak demand on Tuesday, 24 June, between the hours of 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm eastern time was 25 898 MW, according to the data in the EIA’s Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. ISO-NE reported that Tuesday’s evening peak electricity demand was the highest level seen in the region since 2013.

Real-time wholesale electricity prices on 24 June peaked at US$1110/MWh at 6:00 pm according to preliminary data from ISO-NE, compared with peak prices of US$65/MWh the previous week on 17 June.

New England’s electricity grid depended on a combination of oil-fired power plants, electricity imports from Canada, and increased natural gas power production to meet peak demand this week. At peak load on Tuesday, 47% of ISO-NE generation came from natural gas, 12% from imports, 13% from nuclear, 12% from petroleum, 1% from coal, and 4% from renewable sources including wind, batteries, and solar. The last remaining coal-fired plant in the region, the Merrimack facility in New Hampshire, supplied 280 MWh on average to the grid on Tuesday. The Merrimack facility is typically only used when demand is high.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/product-news/30062025/electricity-demand-in-the-eastern-us-surged-from-heat-wave/