The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced an Energy Emergency Alert to 13 states on the Mid-Atlantic power grid, including Virginia.
The emergency declaration, in effect through Friday, will allow certain power plants in the region to bypass normal operating restrictions to help ensure a reliable flow of electricity.
Officials say the move will mitigate blackout risks in the Mid-Atlantic ahead of "a period of elevated demand, a high rate of planned generator outages during the autumn maintenance season, and numerous planned transmission outages."
"This order will help ensure millions of American families and businesses across the Mid-Atlantic have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity by making additional power generation, including backup power, available to use as needed," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
While mass blackouts aren't necessarily imminent, the Department of Energy says 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation remains available nationwide in the event they take place.
Wright added that while previous administrations' "energy subtraction policies" left the Mid-Atlantic region more vulnerable to blackouts, current leadership remains committed to "using every available tool" to prevent them, including declaring an Energy Emergency Alert.
"Blackouts can be deadly, and it's critical that we do all we can to prevent them," Senator Tim Kaine's told Patch in a statement. "That work must also include bringing more affordable, clean energy sources online, and ensuring that data centers pay their fair share for the grid infrastructure upgrades their demand requires."
The Mid-Atlantic grid is run by PJM Interconnection, which provides power to 13 states and more than 67 million people.
The states affected are:
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