Data centers and other large consumers in 13 US states may be switched to backup generators

The operator PJM serves 13 states and the District of Columbia: some states in full, others partially. The order is in effect from October 13 to 16: it allows the operator to run power plants beyond the limits of their environmental permits and, as a last resort, to direct backup generators at data centers and other large consumers into operation.

The gist in brief

• The order was issued under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, signed on October 12, and PJM requested it on October 11.
• The operator expects demand of about 111,500 MW on October 13, about 61,591 MW of generation offline, and the buffer to the reserve margin on October 14 could shrink to 900 MW.
• Backup generators are permitted to be used as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 (EEA 3), under which consumer outages are possible, or during one.
• Backup installations at defense facilities, emergency response services, hospitals, 911 centers, and water treatment plants are excluded.

What the order allows

The order allows PJM to bring generating units from the list in the appendix to its application online, but only as necessary for system reliability. The operation of these units and backup generators is limited to the time and parameters determined by PJM, and emissions, operating hours, and fuel consumption during the order's validity are not counted toward rolling limits. The order notes that exceedances of permitted limits for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, wastewater discharges, and other indicators are possible. At the same time, operation must comply with environmental legislation to the extent possible, and PJM reports daily to the ministry on each installation operated under this order.

A separate point concerns backup generation: auxiliary, emergency, battery, and other, regardless of whether it is connected to the main grid. As explained in the order, this refers to backup capacity at data centers, including hyperscale ones, and other large industrial and commercial facilities. PJM has the right to direct them into operation as a last resort before declaring EEA 3 or during one. Transmission line owners and distribution companies may be enlisted to carry this out. The order does not apply to backup installations providing critically important needs: defense and homeland security facilities, emergency services, air traffic control, hospitals, 911 centers, water treatment and sewage facilities, gas pipelines, and gas gathering facilities. According to the ministry's estimate, more than 35 GW of unused backup generation is available nationwide.

Why the order was needed

PJM's application states that measures are needed due to a possible shortage of electricity and capacity. According to its data, the system is under pressure from increased demand, a large volume of planned generation outages during the autumn repair season, and numerous planned transmission line outages. The greatest difficulties are forecast in the zones of Baltimore Gas and Electric, Pepco, and Dominion Energy. There are also constraints in electricity transmission, in particular on the Conastone-Peach Bottom line with a voltage of 500 kV and on the Crete-St. Johns tie with the neighboring operator MISO. For October 12-14, PJM declared a capacity shortage warning. If unforeseen circumstances arise, the impact on system reliability could be significant, the operator notes. PJM is also considering a transmission loading relief request (TLR), the return of external electricity sales, and the activation of demand management mechanisms.

According to The National, PJM also linked the expected strain to unusually warm weather for autumn. Wright stated that the order is needed to reduce the risk of outages in the Mid-Atlantic region ahead of a period of increased demand. A PJM representative said that the operator does not expect consequences for consumers and is not asking them to do anything.

Not the first such order

For PJM, the Department of Energy has already applied Section 202(c). In May 2025, an order required the operator to continue operating the units at the Eddystone station in Pennsylvania after a planned retirement, and in July 2025, operation of a unit at the Wagner station in Maryland was permitted beyond its operating limit. In both cases, the issue was a growing resource adequacy problem due to load growth and capacity retirements.

What this means for Kazakhstan

The order has no direct bearing on Kazakhstan, but the topic of power system reliability is familiar here: on August 14, 2026, a power outage affected Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and partially Uzbekistan. In Kazakhstan, restrictions reached 2,810 MW, of which about 300 MW was in Almaty, and restoration took about six hours. The operator KEGOC links the accident to the shutdown of two hydro generators at the Toktogul HPP in Kyrgyzstan, while Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Energy named a different version. The exact cause is to be established by a commission.

Author's conclusion

Formally, the minister acknowledged an emergency situation, but this concerns a forecast load for the period from October 13 to 16: the order gives PJM additional tools rather than introducing outages. Backup generators are designated as a last resort, and it is not clear from the published materials whether it will be needed. What is worth watching is PJM's daily reports to the ministry on which installations were actually used.