Jan 22 (Reuters) - Power grid operator PJM

Interconnection on Wednesday said it hit a preliminary record

for winter demand with a peak load of 145,000 megawatts (MW),

while also exporting 8,000 MW, driven by extreme cold

nationwide.

This surpasses the previous record of 143,700 MW set in

February 2015, pending data verification, said PJM, which serves

nearly 65 million people in all or parts of 13 states from

Illinois to New Jersey.

High demand, nearly 140,000 MW, is expected on Wednesday

evening and Thursday morning, Mike Bryson, PJM's senior vice

president of operations, said in a statement.

Soaring prices and record gas demand this week helped boost

spot power prices to a record high of $275 per megawatt hour at

the PJM West Hub in western Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Valley Authority ( TVC ) said power

demand in its seven-state region soared to an all-time peak of

35,319 MW on Wednesday, topping the previous peak of 34,577 MW

set on Jan. 17, 2024.

The peak occurred Wednesday morning as temperatures across

the system dipped to 11 degrees Fahrenheit (-11.7 Celsius).

To ease strain on the grid, TVA on Tuesday asked customers

to conserve power Wednesday morning.

TVA supplies electricity to 10 million people across seven

southeastern states.