Poland invokes emergency grid capacity powers for second time in three days amid heatwave
Before this summer, it had only done so twice in eight years.
Poland has invoked emergency grid capacity powers for a second time in just three days amid a severe heatwave, with temperatures nearing 40°C in many regions. This marks the third time since 2026 that the country has resorted to such measures to maintain power supply stability. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has assured Poles that the situation is under control, attributing the stability to the growth of renewable energy sources in recent years.
The power grid operator PSE has instructed contracted electricity generators to increase output and large consumers to reduce usage between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, as the heatwave has significantly increased electricity consumption, partly due to heightened use of air conditioning and refrigeration. This is the first time the emergency measures have been invoked this summer since their introduction in 2018, with only five instances recorded in total.
The heatwave has also resulted in record low water levels in many rivers, including Poland's longest river, the Vistula, which has caused disruptions to cooling supplies for some of the country's coal-fired power plants.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written; read the original for the full account.
