Generation outages to surge on largest US electric grid

By Tim McLaughlin

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Power plant outages on the largest U.S. electric grid on Tuesday were forecast to surge nearly 30% from a day earlier amid an extended cold snap that has snarled fuel supplies for gas and coal-fired generators.

The PJM Interconnection, which manages the supply of electricity for 67 million people in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, forecast 25.72 GW in generation outages, compared with Monday's level of 19.96 GW, according to grid operator data.

Tuesday's forecast is just shy of the 26.1 GW of outages reached on Jan. 22, the peak level since the start of nearly two weeks of frigid temperatures extending from Boston to Washington D.C..

PJM expects generation outages to remain elevated throughout the week, according to its latest 7-day forecast.

Gas prices, which affect the real-time cost of wholesale electricity, showed signs of easing on Tuesday morning.

Eastern gas prices in Pennsylvania were down to $3.79 per mmBtu for Tuesday from $5.69 for Monday. And PJM West power prices in Pennsylvania and Maryland were down to $113 per MWh for Tuesday from $196 for Monday.