PJM issued a Maximum Generation Alert for Tuesday and kept a capacity advisory in place through Wednesday, while day-ahead prices for Wednesday rose 28 percent to $295.83 per megawatt-hour, the highest daily average since mid-July. The Department of Energy emergency order running through Friday lets PJM run plants past environmental permit limits and, as a last resort, direct data centers and other large customers onto backup generation.
PJM spot power tops $1,000 as heat hits maintenance season
Spot power at PJM's Western hub reached $1,021 per megawatt-hour on Tuesday afternoon as unseasonable heat across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic collided with about 62,000MW of generation out for planned fall maintenance on the grid serving 67 million people.
Why it matters: PJM has recalled all generation maintenance from noon Wednesday and is leaning on a federal emergency order through Friday, a reminder of how little slack the largest US grid carries into winter.
Data as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026. OilPrice report, opened and read in full; the hub price and day-ahead figures are Bloomberg reporting carried by OilPrice, and the alert and recall details are PJM statements. Developing item, 2 to 3 sentences by design.
Sources
- Power Prices Top $1,000 on PJM as Heat Collides With Fall Plant Maintenance · OilPrice.com · 2026-10-14