U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order aimed at addressing ongoing grid reliability concerns in the Mid-Atlantic region. The directive instructs PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., working with Constellation Energy Corporation, to keep Units 3 and 4 at the Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania operational beyond their planned retirement date of May 31, 2025. The order also requires the use of economic dispatch to help reduce costs for consumers.
Secretary Wright stated, “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. 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.”
During Winter Storm Fern from January 26 to 29, the Eddystone units provided more than 124 hours of power collectively, helping stabilize the grid during a period classified as an energy emergency.
According to the Department of Energy’s Resource Adequacy Report, there is concern that if reliable power sources are removed from service, outages could become significantly more frequent by 2030. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has also cautioned in its 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment that a growing dependence on weather-dependent resources and reduced fuel diversity could increase risks of supply shortages during winter months.
Secretary Wright had previously ordered these Eddystone units to remain online through an initial emergency order on May 30, 2025. Additional orders followed on August 28 and November 26, 2025. Over the past year, these measures have contributed to greater energy security within PJM’s territory; PJM called upon these units during both summer heat waves and Winter Storm Fern.
The current emergency order takes effect from February 24 through May 24, 2026.
The Department of Energy has recently announced several initiatives related to energy resilience and efficiency. For example, in July 2022 it launched a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support implementation of updated building energy codes aimed at increasing resilience and efficiency (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more). Additionally, DOE announced a $96 million funding opportunity focused on advancing clean vehicle technologies such as expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure and improving non-road engine emissions (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-96-million-advancing-clean-vehicle-technologies-reduce-carbon-emissions).
On another front, technology development for environmental management remains a priority for DOE leadership; testimony before Congress highlighted national laboratories’ roles in cleanup efforts (https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/technology-development-aiding-em-mission-senior-advisor-white-tells-congress). At Savannah River Site (SRS), innovative passive processes using crushed marble are being used to improve groundwater quality at former coal-fired plant sites (https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/srs-tackles-groundwater-issue-using-innovative-passive-energy-process).
DOE has also expanded support for disadvantaged communities through more than 140 programs aligned with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative; these include grants for weatherization assistance and grid resilience improvements (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
