Stressed power grid keeping up with demand in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky

WEST VIRGINIA (WCHS) — Officials said that while the power grid is stressed amid an ongoing heat wave, they have been able to meet demand locally.

PJM, a regional power grid operator that covers West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky said it and Appalachian Power seem to have passed its first major energy challenge of the summer as a heat wave continues.

The company said Tuesday that it met a 161,000-megawatt demand for power, the highest since 2011, and has sufficient reserves to get through the rest of this week’s heat wave.

Appalachian Power is a utility that typically sees peak usage in winter, so it’s expected to get through the heat wave with no sweat, but there’s still concern that extended periods of extreme heat can stress the system. If a utility has to buy power now, it’s going to pay a premium price.

The coal industry contends that growing demand pushed by data centers and AI are cutting into the grid’s margins of safety.

West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton said another grid operator that serves the central US avoided brownout and blackouts, but asked large industries to curtail some work this week.

“Coal has always played a tremendous role in kind of regulating that burn and response to fluctuations in our weather – whether it’s extremely hot conditions or extremely cold,” he said.

Hamilton contends that the safety net has been cut too much.

Appalachian Power said it’s meeting customer demands, but conservation can save them money.

“Trying not to use any heat-producing appliances during the hottest part of the day, so a stove, an oven, a dishwasher, a clothes dryer, maybe using them early in the morning or later in the evening will help keep the temperature cooler in your home and help reduce usage,” AEP spokesperson Debbie Pannell said.

PJM, who gets power to one in five Americans, alerted power producers before the heat wave hit to be prepared to run as much as needed.