NYC Heat Triggers Blackout as Soaring Temperatures Stress US Grids

Blistering heat is straining power grids across the eastern half of the U.S., leading to a blackout in part of New York City’s borough of Queens as the local utility issued a warning to conserve electricity.

Consolidated Edison Inc. is working to restore service to more than 6,200 customers in southeast Queens, the company said in a statement. The utility asked residents in the area not to use energy-intensive appliances like washers and microwaves until crews complete repairs.

Two regional grids serving 110 million people from the Great Plains to the mid-Atlantic have also issued level-one energy emergency alerts — the lowest level — for Monday as intensifying heat drives up air conditioning needs, straining power supplies.

PJM Interconnection, which operates the 13-state system from Illinois to Washington, DC, expects demand to climb to nearly 160.8 gigawatts, which would be the highest peak since July 2011. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator also declared a maximum generation event for the Midwest and central states it serves, requiring all supplies to be on hand from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern.

The high temperature in New York’s Central Park is forecast to reach 95F (35F) later Monday, the US National Weather Service said. With humidity, it will feel closer to 102F. Excessive-heat warnings are in effect along the U.S. East Coast as well as an area from eastern Texas and Kansas to southern Maine.

Top photo: Residential apartment buildings in front of the Manhattan skyline in the Queens borough of New York, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.