BOILING OVER

Biggest U.S. Grid Operator Issues Emergency Alert Amid Heatwave

Demand for electricity is surging as Americans turn to air conditioning.

The largest electric grid operator in the U.S. issued a level one emergency alert for Thursday as people switch on air conditioners to combat brutal temperatures. PJM Interconnection, which oversees power supply across a 13-state region, issued the alert late Wednesday. It indicates that PJM has the resources needed to meet its firm load and reserve commitments, but that it is concerned that it may not be able to sustain its required contingency reserves. A hot weather alert was issued earlier in the week between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday. The Texas power grid clocked record demand last week while Arizona similarly saw an all-time high this week.