The federal government issued a special emergency order to keep much of the nation's power grid operating ahead of extreme heat over the holiday weekend.
PJM, the nation's largest power grid operator, asked the U.S. Department of Energy for the emergency order Monday, "an imminent electric reliability emergency exists that will threaten transmission reliability."
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Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed the order, allowing PJM to require data centers and other major energy users to switch to backup generators. The order is in effect until Friday at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
PJM serves the Mid-Atlantic and some Midwestern states. It also operates the grid in parts of North Carolina served by Dominion Energy.
In many parts of the country, power grid operators like PJM act as electricity brokers. Power plant operators sell energy to grid operators who sell the energy to utilities. Prices increase as demand increases.
Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said the utility's units in the Carolinas are not part of PJM. He said Duke Energy expects to meet energy demand during the extreme heat.
"We have adequate generation to serve our customers this week and don't anticipate issues," Brooks said in a statement.
He said customers should adjust their thermostat to the highest comfortable setting and use ceiling fans to feel cooler. Also, consider using a dehumidifier to lighten the load on your AC system.