PJM set a new winter record for electricity use Friday, with demand hitting about 143,800 MW at 8 a.m., according to preliminary data.
Real-time prices peaked at 7 a.m., with prices hitting $564/MWh in the Dominion zone and almost $419/MWh RTO-wide.
The record came as at least two dozen cities in the RTO broke low temperature records, including D.C., Wilmington, Del., Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
PJM had forecast a morning peak of 144,330 MW at 7 a.m. with available economic capacity of 160,958 MW.
The RTO noted that although it was able to meet the load about 12,000 MW of generation will retire this year “making high performance essential from the rest of the generation fleet.”
The previous peak was 141,846 MW on Jan. 7, 2014, (142,573 MW with demand response contributions added back in), when forced outages reached as high as 21%.
The RTO introduced several initiatives to improve performance for this winter, including voluntary testing of infrequently-used generators. (See PJM Hoping Testing Makes the Difference Before Winter.)
It has also asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve its Capacity Performance proposal, which would increase performance penalties and incentives. (See PJM Defends Capacity Performance Proposal; Drops Change for LSEs.)
USA Today reported that at least 72 record low temperatures were set Friday morning, from Marquette, Mich., (minus 26 F) to Miami (42 F).
