(Reuters) – Winter electricity demand on the largest U.S. power grid – the PJM Interconnection – is expected to set an all-time record next week as large swaths of the United States brace for an Arctic blast of cold weather.
PJM’s seven-day forecast on Thursday morning predicted 144,465 megawatts of demand on January 27. That would top PJM’s all-time winter high of 143,700 set in January 2025.
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PJM is the biggest grid operator in North America, serving 67 million people in 13 states and Washington, D.C. PJM has been struggling to keep up with booming demand from the proliferation of Big Tech’s power-hungry data centers needed for the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.
PJM was not immediately available for comment. In November, the grid operator said it would have sufficient resources to serve the 67 million people in its footprint this winter under expected conditions, even as electricity demand continues to outpace the addition of new generating resources.
PJM expects to have 180,800 megawatts of operational capacity, or plenty of reserves to serve expected peak demand.
A cold front will bring frigid temperatures to the eastern two-thirds of the country, the National Weather Service said, expecting sub-zero lows to spread from the Northern Plains to the Northeast by Sunday and reach the Gulf Coast by early next week.
Reporting By Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Nia Williams
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