PJM says power grid able to handle summer demand

LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Reuters) - PJM Interconnection, the biggest power grid operator in the United States active in 13 states, said on Monday its transmission lines should be able to handle this summer's peak power demand without problems.

Peak electricity use in the PJM area from the Mid-Atlantic to the the Midwest, is likely to be higher than last summer's peak, but lower than the all-time high, PJM said.

PJM has peak power transmission capacity of about 160,000 megawatts, and the peak demand this summer is expected to be about 137,500 MW. A megawatt can power about 800 average homes on a year-round basis.

Michael J. Kormos, PJM senior vice president for operations, said PJM still needs to build more power plants and transmission lines "to ensure reliable power supplies for future summers."

PJM's highest demand was for a peak of 144,644 in 2006.

The 13 states in the PJM coverage area are North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. It also handles Washington, D.C. (Reporting by Bernard Woodall; Editing by Marguerita Choy)