Heat wave pressures grid as Virginia data centers lean on diesel backups
TL;DR
Extreme heat pushes electric demand on the mid-Atlantic grid, forcing Virginia’s data-center boom to rely on backup diesel generators and prompting emissions and health concerns as regulators weigh using standby power to prevent outages.
Topics:businessenergy-and-climate#data-centers#diesel-generators#energy-and-climate#grid-reliability#heat-wave#pjm-interconnection
- ‘We are screwed’: People near data centers dread heat wave pollution. Politico
- 'Stretched to the limit': Heat wave prompts US electrical grid emergency yahoo.com
- PJM Hot Weather Operations Update – June 30, 2026 PJM Inside Lines
- Largest US power grid details price spikes, warns on record demand Reuters
- Energy Department issues emergency orders for mid-Atlantic power grid amid heat wave The Hill
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