WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order directing PJM Interconnection, in coordination with Constellation Energy, to ensure that Units 3 and 4 of the Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania remain operational through November 26, 2025. The measure is intended to mitigate the risk of energy shortfalls across the Mid-Atlantic region as grid reliability concerns intensify.
The order follows earlier steps taken on May 30, 2025, when the Department of Energy (DOE) directed that the units remain available past their planned retirement date. According to DOE officials, keeping the Eddystone units online over the past three months has already proven critical. During the heat waves in June and July, PJM called on these units to provide additional generation capacity, helping stabilize the regional grid during periods of extreme demand.
“With unprecedented energy demand and resource retirements outpacing new generation additions, the country is facing an energy emergency,” Wright said, stressing that the Trump administration views “power outages and soaring energy costs” as unacceptable.
Persistent Reliability Risks
The emergency conditions that prompted the May order remain unresolved. DOE’s Grid Reliability Evaluation warns that if the nation continues removing dependable power sources faster than new generation can be added, power outages could increase by as much as 100 times by 2030.
PJM, which manages electricity for more than 65 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia, has repeatedly raised alarms about resource adequacy. In a February 2023 report, the organization warned of growing reliability risks stemming from the mismatch between accelerated plant retirements, rising energy demand, and the slower pace of new generation development.
In a December 2024 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), PJM cited “substantial increases” in load growth and noted that its concerns over resource adequacy are “increasing at an extraordinary pace.” That sentiment was echoed during a March 2025 hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where PJM’s President and CEO testified that a “growing resource adequacy concern” is already impacting a “significant part of our country.”
Balancing Energy Security and Resource Transition
The latest order underscores the growing challenge facing U.S. energy policy: balancing the transition to new energy technologies with the need to maintain reliability in existing power systems. While retiring aging fossil fuel plants has been a long-term goal, PJM and DOE officials warn that retiring too much capacity too quickly risks leaving millions vulnerable to service interruptions.
The Eddystone Generating Station, located just outside Philadelphia, has become a focal point in this debate. With demand for electricity rising and extreme weather events placing additional stress on the grid, the decision to keep Units 3 and 4 operational reflects the administration’s effort to secure short-term energy stability while longer-term solutions develop.
The emergency order will remain in effect until November 26, 2025, but DOE has indicated it will continue monitoring regional grid conditions to determine whether further extensions or additional measures are necessary.
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