U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order to maintain grid reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region. The order directs PJM Interconnection, working with Constellation Energy, to keep Units 3 and 4 of the Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania available for operation. This move aims to reduce the risk of electricity shortfalls that could result in power outages.
“With unprecedented energy demand and resource retirements outpacing new generation additions, the country is facing an energy emergency. Today’s order proves that the Trump Administration is dedicated to confronting this critical issue,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “This administration considers power outages and soaring energy costs to be unacceptable.”
According to a Department of Energy evaluation, if reliable power sources are taken offline at current rates, power outages could increase by 100 times by 2030.
Secretary Wright previously ordered that these two units stay online past their scheduled retirement date through a May 30, 2025 emergency directive. Over the last three months, keeping these units operational has helped support energy security in the PJM region, particularly during heat waves in June and July when they were called upon to generate electricity.
The conditions leading to the initial emergency order have not changed.
The current order takes effect August 28, 2025 and will remain in place until November 26, 2025.
PJM Interconnection has expressed concerns about having enough resources for several years. In February 2023, PJM released a report highlighting increased risks due to potential mismatches between retiring older resources and adding new ones as electricity demand grows. In December 2024, PJM filed documents with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission stating its analysis shows significant increases in load growth and growing worries about meeting future needs (https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/118040/witnesses/HHRG-119-IF03-Wstate-AsthanaM-20250325.pdf). During a March 2025 congressional hearing, PJM’s President & CEO testified there is “a growing resource adequacy concern . . . impacting a significant part of our country.”
