WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a new emergency order requiring two generating units at the Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania to remain available for operation through May 24, 2026, citing ongoing grid reliability concerns in the Mid-Atlantic region.
What This Means for You
- Two power units previously slated for retirement will remain available to help prevent blackouts in the PJM region.
- The order directs grid operator PJM to use “economic dispatch,” meaning the lowest-cost available power plants are called on first to minimize consumer costs.
- The emergency authority extends federal oversight of the plant’s operations for nearly another year.
Emergency Authority Invoked
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued the order on February 23, directing PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. — the regional grid operator that manages electricity transmission across 13 states and the District of Columbia — to coordinate with Constellation Energy Corporation to keep Units 3 and 4 of the Eddystone facility operational.
The units had originally been scheduled to shut down on May 31, 2025.
Secretary Wright said the order is intended to address what the department described as critical reliability risks.
“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,” Wright said. He added that keeping generation online has helped mitigate blackout risks.
Role During Winter Storm Fern
According to the department, the Eddystone units played a stabilizing role during Winter Storm Fern. Between January 26 and January 29, the two units operated for more than 124 cumulative hours, providing electricity during peak demand conditions.
The department cited findings from its Resource Adequacy Report warning that outages could increase significantly by 2030 if dispatchable generation — power plants that can be turned on when needed, such as natural gas or oil facilities — continues to retire without replacement.
It also referenced the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment, which warned that increasing reliance on weather-dependent energy sources and reduced fuel diversity heightens the risk of winter supply shortfalls.
Previous Orders and Ongoing Conditions
This is the latest in a series of emergency actions affecting the facility. Secretary Wright previously ordered the units to remain online past their planned retirement date in a May 30, 2025 emergency order. Additional orders were issued on August 28, 2025 and November 26, 2025.
The department said the emergency conditions that prompted the earlier orders remain in place.
Under the current directive, PJM must ensure the units remain available and use economic dispatch — a grid management process that selects power plants based on lowest operating cost while maintaining reliability — to reduce potential impacts on ratepayers.
The order remains in effect through May 24, 2026.
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