PJM Asks Consumers To Conserve Electricity On Tuesday

Record-breaking electricity use possible tomorrow due to extreme cold weather

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Jan 27, 2014, 02:31 ET

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Jan. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PJM Interconnection, the electricity grid operator for more than 61 million people in 13 states and the District of Columbia, is asking consumers to conserve electricity on Tuesday. The call for conservation is prompted by another wave of frigid weather that will push up the demand for electricity.

The request is being made throughout the entire area served by PJM. The demand for electricity and the need for conservation is expected to be highest Tuesday evening.

PJM asks consumers to conserve electricity, if health permits – especially from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday as well as between 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Electricity customers can take simple electricity conservation steps:

Set thermostats lower than usual, if health permits,
Postpone using major electric appliances such as stoves, dishwashers and clothes dryers until mid-day or after 9 p.m., when the demand for electricity decreases, and
Turn off electric lights and appliances that you do not need or are not using.

Conserving electricity tomorrow will help ensure adequate power supplies. PJM continues to carefully monitor the power supply conditions. PJM and its members will do everything possible to keep power flowing in the region.

PJM Interconnection, founded in 1927, ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 61 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region's transmission grid, which includes 62,556 miles of transmission lines; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. Visit PJM at www.pjm.com.