Jan. 25 Update on PJM Cold Weather Operations

PJM (Mid Atlantic Regional Transmission Org) ^ | 1/25/2026 | PJM Staff

[fruser1]

PJM has issued precautionary alerts and continues to operate through the wide arctic system that is bringing extreme cold temperatures, ice and snow through next weekend to the region PJM serves, spanning 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Between Jan. 23 and 27, and possibly extending through Jan. 30, temperatures are expected to reach single digits throughout the RTO and below zero in PJM’s Western Region. Peak demand has the potential to exceed 130,000 MW for seven straight days, a winter streak that PJM has never experienced.

U.S. Department of Energy Order

The order allows PJM to run all electric generating units located within the PJM region to operate up to their maximum generation output levels, notwithstanding air quality or other permit limitations or fuel shortages while the emergency lasts. This order is effective through Jan. 31.

Pre-Emergency Demand Response Called in BGE, DOM, PEPCO

Demand response or load management customers are paid to reduce their electricity consumption to ease load during critical periods.

Forecast Peaks

Sunday, Jan. 25: 131,100 MW

Monday, Jan. 26: 137,800 MW

Tuesday, Jan. 27: 147,200 MW

Wednesday, Jan. 28: 145,600 MW

Thursday, Jan. 29: 144,500 MW

Friday, Jan 30: 145,900 MW

Saturday, Jan. 31: 131,000 MW

Sunday, Feb. 1: 126,000 MW '

PJM Winter Preparations

PJM expects to have 180,800 MW of winter operational capacity to serve its seasonal forecasted peak demand for this winter. This expectation is based on PJM and the PJM resources continuing to take operational steps to improve generator performance during extreme winter conditions.

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TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: grid; weather

[fruser1]

Chilly willy. PJM runs the grid in the mid Atlantic. The acronym originally comes from Pennsylvania - Jersey - Maryland

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Capacity at limits? No problem! Fire up some more solar cells and windmills. Problem solved.

[kvanbrunt2]

Ration any electricity to those states that have natural gas bans like New York, or windmill farms like NJ. If you want to live on batteries then you wait in line for those states that favor power generation.

[palmer]

Their dirty secret is they already cut the power to part of my coop on Dec 16 at 6am when it was 10 degrees. Brought it back in stages, mine was out 1 hour 20 minutes. My coop lied about it, said it was equipment failure.

I wasn't in a coop when I moved here, I was in Allegheny which is commercial. Coops suck because we get the least reliable wholesale power and pay the highest wholesale prices. It will get worse with Dems in charge in Virginia because the coops are all red counties.

[Fai Mao]

The largest producer of windmill electrical power also produces the most gas a d oil bill. The US, Texas.