Grid operator scrambles to prevent blackouts from record demand in winter storm

The severe winter storm that dumped heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the South and East Coast is putting strain on the largest grid region in the United States, with lingering low temperatures causing all-time highs for power demand.

PJM Interconnection, the largest grid operator and wholesale electricity market in the country, warned on Monday that more than a dozen states and the District of Columbia could experience historic strain on their electricity grids through the rest of the week.

The region, which stretches from parts of northern Illinois to North Carolina and New Jersey, is expecting extreme cold until Sunday, brought on by a frigid arctic system that followed last weekend’s weather event, dubbed “Winter Storm Fern.”

The winter weather and low temperatures have