Maryland blackouts call attention to grid strain
Thousands lost power after a plant outage, as high summer demand strains Maryland’s electricity network.
Image for illustrative purposes
USA, Maryland, Baltimore: Maryland’s electricity grid faced fresh pressure on 11 August when thousands of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) customers were left without power during peak summer demand, underscoring concerns over grid resilience.
At the height of the disruption, around 4,000 residents were without electricity following an “unplanned disconnection” at a key regional power plant. Prompted by the outage, BGE issued an emergency energy conservation request to all customers and urged them to prepare for potential rolling blackouts.
PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, said power supply into central Maryland was tight for most of the day, briefly falling short of demand. By late afternoon, some service was restored, allowing them to lift the order to cut electricity use.
BGE attributed the incident to a “transmission equipment issue” affecting its system, with repairs underway in coordination with the plant’s owner. The exact cause remains under investigation.
The disruption came shortly after the US Department of Energy granted the H.A. Wagner plant in Brandon Shores a 90-day waiver to exceed pollution limits, warning of possible controlled blackouts if another severe heatwave strikes.
State leaders offered differing views on the incident. Republican Delegate Ryan Nawrocki linked the risk of outages to reduced power supply, while Democratic Senate President Bill Ferguson described it as an infrastructure problem, not a generation shortfall.
Industry experts warn that transmission “trips”, caused by equipment overloads, weather, or synchronisation failures, are particularly disruptive when grid capacity is tight.
Officials urged Marylanders to conserve power and prepare for possible outages by charging devices, securing water, and making contingency plans for critical medical needs.
BGE said no further outages linked to this event are expected but pledged to notify customers in advance should that change.
Source: foxbaltimore.com
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