US Declares Electric Emergency in 13 States and DC Over PJM Reserve Margin

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright declared an electric emergency across 13 states and Washington D.C., authorizing forced dispatch of power plants and backup generators at data centers and industries. The action responds to critically low reserve margins in the PJM grid, signaling acute supply-demand imbalance. This marks a rare federal intervention in electricity markets, with implications for grid reliability and potential price spikes.