Record Heat Triggers U.S. East Coast Grid Emergency, Electricity Prices Soar to $1,000 per MWh

Record-breaking heat across the U.S. East Coast triggered grid operators to declare an emergency state on May 18, with electricity prices soaring to unprecedented levels. In the Washington, D.C. suburbs—including the power-intensive Data Center Alley—prices reached $1,000 per megawatt-hour, nearly four times the regional average. Baltimore Gas & Electric’s service area saw prices exceed $900 per MWh, while Pepco’s service region approached $870 per MWh.