WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order directing PJM Interconnection to keep two units at Pennsylvania’s Eddystone Generating Station available for operation, citing mounting reliability concerns across the Mid-Atlantic power grid.
The order requires PJM, working with Constellation Energy, to ensure Units 3 and 4 remain operational and to limit costs to consumers. The Department of Energy said continued electricity production from the units is essential to avoid blackouts during the coming winter months.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Energy is using all tools available to keep the lights on and heat running for the American people,” Wright said. He added that the emergency directive is critical to maintaining affordable and dependable power during periods of high demand.
The two Eddystone units were already operating beyond their planned retirement date due to a previous emergency action issued May 30, 2025, followed by an additional directive on August 28. DOE said the facility played a significant role during heat waves in June and July, when PJM called on the units to help stabilize the grid.
PJM’s region is expected to continue facing “emergency conditions both in the near and long term,” according to DOE. The grid operator set a new winter peak in January 2025, surpassing a record that had stood since 2015.
The order takes effect November 26, 2025, and runs through February 24, 2026.
PJM has repeatedly warned federal regulators and Congress about escalating reliability risks tied to rising electricity demand, slow entry of new generation resources, and accelerating retirements of existing power plants. A February 2023 analysis highlighted concerns about the timing mismatch between retirements and new capacity. In a December 2024 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, PJM reported “substantial increases” in expected load growth and stated its reliability concerns were “increasing at an extraordinary pace.”
During a March 2025 hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana told lawmakers the grid operator faces a “growing resource adequacy concern” affecting a large portion of the country.
DOE’s own Resource Adequacy Report warns that power outages could rise dramatically by 2030 if reliable power sources continue to be removed from the system.
Federal officials said the latest emergency order reflects the administration’s commitment to maintaining grid stability as the region confronts rising stress on aging infrastructure and an increasingly constrained power supply.
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