Largest US grid paid up to $28,000 per megawatt to balance electricity during heat wave

Power-balancing costs on PJM, the largest U.S. grid, have surged to “astronomical” levels this year amid extreme weather. The spike highlights grid strains from overloaded transmission lines and accelerating data-center load growth, raising near-term reliability and cost pressure for the power system.

Analysis

Power-balancing costs on PJM, the largest U.S. grid, have surged to “astronomical” levels this year amid extreme weather. The spike highlights grid strains from overloaded transmission lines and accelerating data-center load growth, raising near-term reliability and cost pressure for the power system.