Regional Power Pool Says 'Don't Sweat It' They're Ready For Summer

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The official start of summer is now less than a month away. However, the regional power pool which serves Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware has been preparing for months to handle the needs for power for those fans and air conditioners.

Paula DuPont-Kidd, a spokeswoman for the PJM Interconnection, which ensures the tri-state region has the energy it needs, says managers have been lining up the electricity from power plants across the grid.

"I think we're expecting another hot summer and with that comes higher use of air conditioners. But even with that high use, we feel pretty confident we're going to have the power that everyone needs," DuPont-Kidd said.

She says it is a planning process that takes years and has to be adjusted to include new power plants coming online, older plants being retired and improvements to the network to get that power out.

"And you have transmission lines that help enable a greater amount of power to be transferred across the system," DuPont-Kidd said.

DuPont-Kidd says engineers always have contingencies ready and keep some power in reserve in the event more is needed.

Reported by Mark Abrams, KYW Newsradio