U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order to address grid reliability concerns in the Mid-Atlantic region. The directive instructs PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., working with Constellation Energy Corporation, to keep Units 3 and 4 at the Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania available for operation. The order also calls for economic dispatch to help minimize costs for consumers. These units were previously scheduled to shut down on May 31, 2025.
Secretary Wright stated, “The energy sources that perform when you need them most are inherently the most valuable—that’s why natural gas and oil were valuable during recent winter storms. Hundreds of American lives have likely been saved because of President Trump’s actions keeping critical generation online, including this Pennsylvania generating station which ran during Winter Storm Fern. This emergency order will mitigate the risk of blackouts and maintain affordable, reliable, and secure electricity access across the region.”
During Winter Storm Fern from January 26-29, the Eddystone units operated for over 124 hours combined, helping stabilize the regional power grid during a period of high demand.
According to the Department of Energy’s Resource Adequacy Report, if reliable power sources continue to be retired, power outages could increase significantly by 2030. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has also warned that a growing reliance on weather-dependent resources and reduced fuel diversity could raise risks of supply shortages during winter months.
Secretary Wright had previously ordered these two Eddystone units to remain operational past their planned retirement date through an emergency order issued on May 30, 2025. Additional orders followed on August 28 and November 26 of that year. Over the past year, these measures helped strengthen energy security in PJM’s territory; PJM relied on these units both during summer heat waves and Winter Storm Fern.
The new emergency order takes effect February 24, 2026, and will remain in place until May 24, 2026.
In related efforts to improve resilience and lower utility bills nationwide, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at implementing modern building energy codes (details here). The DOE is also supporting disadvantaged communities through more than 140 programs as part of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative (more information).
