New alert just dropped: The grid operator has introduced a “capacity advisory,” which notifies customers when power supply could soon run low—not due to extreme temperatures, but extreme demand. How it works: PJM will send out these alerts up to five days before a possible shortfall. As a result, neighboring grid operators could expect reduced imports and PJM would reschedule generation and transmission maintenance.

Also on the docket: As a “last resort” in “extreme” conditions, the RTO announced that it may ask for DOE permission to allow large loads to turn on backup generation (and avoid power outages).

The signal: “It's an acknowledgment that the old playbook, where capacity emergencies were basically a winter or summer weather problem, doesn't fully fit anymore,” Mona Dajani, Global Co-Chair of Infrastructure, Energy, and Real Estate at Cooley LLP, told Energy Central over email. “This is PJM building a tool for a new kind of stress on the system: not the weather, but the sheer pace of load growth.” Dajani’s advice for power pros? “Get ahead of this now,” and prep contracts and operating plans for this possibility.

Who’s next: MISO has rolled out a similar concept, Dajani said. And at her law practice, clients have asked to incorporate emergency curtailment and backup generation provisions into interconnection agreements and power contracts. “I expect that to become standard practice across the industry as more RTOs adopt similar emergency procedures.”

The case for DERs: It’s an obvious one, according to Audrey Zibelman, former Chair of the New York PSC and former executive at Alphabet's X moonshot factory. "Why would I not want to adopt technology that is going to drive value to consumers when we make electricity and energy more affordable? That means we have more dollars to spend on other things,” she told us.

Hear Audrey's compelling argument in favor of distributed tech—plus how both utilities and regulators can rethink incentive structures to breed innovation—in this deep-dive conversation on Energy Central's Power Perspectives.

Growing concerns from Congress: Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is adding to previous calls for a national data center moratorium—until officials can figure out how to mitigate energy costs and environmental impacts. Plus, he noted that bills like the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act are “not nearly enough.” 

Meanwhile: Oracle is suing the Wisconsin PSC over its order to post collateral for service from We Energies (due to the tech company’s BBB credit rating). This requirement could cost Oracle >$100M per year.

Deep in deals: The company recently raised $40M in its IPO. Now, Deep Fission says it has inked letters of intent with customers including data centers and co-developers. But it has a huge hurdle ahead: Deep Fission has to prove it can drill a commercial-scale borehole…and safely place a prototype reactor inside.

While we’re here: AZ Gov. Katie Hobbs shot down a bill to speed up the deployment of SMRs. It would’ve enabled utilities to build them without environmental studies or public hearings…and stopped most counties from regulating them.

The Mr. Wonderful-led Stratos data center (initially planned for 40K acres) sparked public backlash—and Sen. Stuart Adams overlooked the criticism, according to attorney Stephanie Hollist. She recently beat Adams in the state’s Republican primary, ending his streak as longest-serving Utah Senate president.