Power grid emergency declared in 13 US states, including New Jersey, to prevent blackouts - Check out the reason, dates and full list of affected areas

Millions of Americans across 13 states and Washington, DC, are under a federal power grid emergency order as officials take urgent steps to prevent potential blackouts. The US Department of Energy issued the directive amid unusually warm October weather, rising electricity demand and scheduled maintenance at power plants. The emergency measures, covering areas including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, will remain in effect for four days. While the announcement has raised concerns about possible outages, authorities say the move is precautionary and intended to keep electricity flowing without disruption.

The emergency order, issued by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, applies to PJM Interconnection, which manages electricity transmission across the Washington, DC, region and much of the Mid-Atlantic. The grid operator is dealing with rising electricity demand and unusually warm weather, making it difficult to carry out maintenance work normally scheduled during the fall.

WHY HAS THE US DECLARED A POWER GRID EMERGENCY AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

According to Newsweek, the emergency declaration came on Monday and it was intended for the PJM Interconnection electrical grid system which serves more than 65 million people in some parts of the eastern and midwestern states in the US. The directive came into effect on Tuesday, October 13, and will remain in place through Friday, October 16.

Unseasonably warm weather has increased electricity demand at a time when several power plants and transmission facilities are undergoing scheduled autumn maintenance. The combination has raised concerns about whether sufficient electricity will be available during periods of peak demand.

Under the emergency order, PJM Interconnection can direct additional power plants to operate and use backup generation resources when necessary to maintain grid stability.

"This order will help ensure millions of American families and businesses across the mid-Atlantic have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity by making additional power generation, including backup power, available to use as needed,"Wright said in a statement.

However, the declaration of emergency does not necessarily indicate that there will be blackouts all around or even that such blackouts have been scheduled. Instead, it gives grid operators additional flexibility to prevent electricity shortages.

"Tight grid conditions in general currently are caused by growing electricity demand coupled with the need for owners of generators and transmission equipment to take their equipment out of service for maintenance ahead of winter, and also for construction on major transmission projects that requires nearby lines to be taken out of service for safety reasons," the PJM spokesperson told Newsweek.

WHICH 13 US STATES ARE AFFECTED BY THE POWER GRID EMERGENCY?

The emergency order covers all or parts of 13 states, along with Washington, DC. Here is the full list of affected states:

• 1. Delaware
• 2. Illinois
• 3. Indiana
• 4. Kentucky
• 5. Maryland
• 6. Michigan
• 7. New Jersey
• 8. North Carolina
• 9. Ohio
• 10. Pennsylvania
• 11. Tennessee
• 12. Virginia
• 13. West Virginia

Washington, DC, is also covered by the directive. However, the order does not apply to every community within these states, only areas served by PJM Interconnection.

Officials will continue monitoring electricity demand, weather conditions and available generation capacity throughout the four-day period.