PJM Details Its Actions To Minimize Aug. 11 Baltimore Load Shed Event

On August 11, Baltimore came close to a major power outage - showing just how fragile the grid can be.

It began early that morning when the Brandon Shores substation failed. As demand climbed through the day, PJM Interconnection and Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) ran emergency reliability studies that showed the city’s grid was in serious danger. Without action, the failure could have cascaded into a loss of 1,200 MW—enough to cut power to nearly one million homes.

Instead, PJM and BGE contained it to a 28-minute outage affecting about 4,000 customers.

Here’s how they did it:

• Demand response programs were activated, asking large customers to reduce usage. That freed up 230 MW and eased strain on the grid.
• Voltage reduction and non-essential load curtailment took another 60 MW off demand.
• Targeted load shedding was used only as a last resort, briefly cutting power to 4,000 customers for 30 minutes.

Because of these actions, what could have been a days-long blackout became a short, controlled event that kept hospitals, homes, and businesses powered.

This outcome wasn’t luck. It was preparation. PJM and BGE had invested in operator training, coordinated drills, and strong communication with local officials—practices built on lessons from the 2003 Northeast and 2011 Southwest blackouts.

Baltimore avoided a disaster because of readiness, coordination, and smart use of tools like demand response and voltage reduction.

As demand grows and extreme weather stresses the grid, demand response isn’t optional. It’s essential. Every utility should be building these programs now—they’re among the most effective tools we have to keep the grid reliable and communities safe.

https://insidelines.pjm.com/pjm-details-its-actions-to-minimize-baltimore-load-shed-event/