U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order aimed at preventing potential energy shortfalls in the Mid-Atlantic region. The directive requires PJM Interconnection, in collaboration with Constellation Energy, to keep Units 3 and 4 of the Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania operational.
“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 the Department of Energy’s Grid Reliability Evaluation, if reliable power sources continue to be retired, power outages could become significantly more frequent by 2030.
The order extends a previous directive from May 30, 2025, which also required the two Eddystone units to remain online past their scheduled retirement date. Over the last three months, these units have been called upon during heat waves in June and July, helping maintain energy stability in the PJM region.
PJM has raised concerns about resource adequacy for several years. In a February 2023 report, PJM highlighted growing risks related to balancing retiring resources with increasing demand and delays in bringing new generation online. A December 2024 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission noted “substantial increases” in load additions and a rapid escalation of resource adequacy issues (https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/118040/witnesses/HHRG-119-IF03-Wstate-AsthanaM-20250325.pdf).
During a March 2025 hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Manu Asthana, President and CEO of PJM Interconnection, testified that there is a “growing resource adequacy concern . . . impacting a significant part of our country.”
The current emergency order takes effect on August 28, 2025, and will remain in place until November 26, 2025.
