13 states and D.C. are under a federal power grid emergency. The Department of Energy is letting plants run past their pollution limits to keep the lights on. Here’s what it means for you

the alternative, rolling outages, carries its own serious risks.

Using backup generation. If PJM reaches an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3, the point at which electricity supply is critically low, it can direct its members to run backup generators. The order also lets PJM act as a last resort before an EEA 3 is declared.

Maximum Generation Alerts. PJM can notify transmission and generation owners that the system needs maximum output. Those owners can then decide whether to defer or cancel planned maintenance and other services that would take capacity