U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order to address ongoing grid reliability concerns in the Mid-Atlantic region. The directive requires 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 instructs the use of economic dispatch to help reduce costs for consumers. These units were previously scheduled to shut down on May 31, 2025.
“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,” said Secretary Wright. “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.”
The Eddystone units played a key role during Winter Storm Fern from January 26-29 by operating for over 124 hours combined, helping stabilize the grid during a period of high demand.
A recent Resource Adequacy Report from the Department of Energy (DOE) indicates that if reliable power sources continue to be retired, power outages could become up to 100 times more frequent by 2030. Additionally, NERC’s 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment warns that increasing reliance on weather-dependent resources and decreasing fuel diversity raises risks of supply shortages during winter months.
Secretary Wright had previously ordered these two units to remain operational past their planned retirement date through an emergency order on May 30, 2025. Additional orders followed on August 28 and November 26, 2025. Over the past year, these measures have supported energy security in the PJM region; PJM relied on these units not only during winter emergencies but also during summer heat waves.
The new emergency order is effective from February 24 through May 24, 2026.
In related efforts to improve resilience and affordability in U.S. energy systems, DOE has launched several initiatives under President Biden’s administration. For example, a $225 million program was announced in July 2022 to help implement updated building energy codes as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (details here). In addition, DOE has created funding opportunities aimed at decarbonizing transportation (more information) and has announced over one hundred programs supporting investments in disadvantaged communities through Justice40 (see announcement).
Other DOE activities include promoting technology development for environmental management missions (read more) and applying innovative processes such as using crushed marble to treat groundwater contamination at former coal-fired sites (learn more).
