PJM expects to have sufficient capacity to meet peak winter power demand of 137,000 MW

PJM Interconnection expects to have more than 186,000 MW in resources to meet the forecast peak power demand of about 137,000 MW, with PJM's all-time winter power demand peak reaching 143,295 MW Feb. 20, 2015, PJM said Dec. 1.

While the grid operator expects to meet forecast power demand this winter, it is currently monitoring efforts to avert a rail strike, according to a news release.

Fuel supply data that PJM collected from power generation owners indicates that a rail strike would not impact reliability in the "very near term," but a prolonged strike would present challenges to "supplies of both fuels and other materials needed to operate generators, and could create reliability issues," the grid operator said.

The US Senate Dec. 1 passed a measure to impose a rail labor deal that the White House brokered in September, and the bill will now go to President Joe Biden for his signature.

In response to power generation fuel-supply concerns dating back to fall 2021, and lessons learned from recent extreme weather events nationally, PJM has updated the rules and requirements to its cold weather guidelines for operators, the release said.

For example, for the first time this year, PJM is requiring that generators verify their facilities' cold weather operating temperature limit. Additionally, stakeholders in November approved rule changes to PJM's emergency procedures to account for generator constraints resulting from "supply-chain issues, fuel shortages or regulatory restraints, including emissions limitations," the grid operator said.

"We now have better visibility into generators' supply of fuels and other material critical to their operation, and we expect that recent rule changes will enhance the flexibility those generators need to rebuild their supplies when facing shortfalls beyond their control," said Mike Bryson, PJM's senior vice president of operations.