U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order to address the risk of energy shortages in the Mid-Atlantic region. The directive instructs PJM Interconnection, in coordination with Constellation Energy, to keep Units 3 and 4 of the Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania operational. This measure is intended to reduce the likelihood of generation shortfalls that could cause 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 the Department of Energy’s Grid Reliability Evaluation, if reliable power continues to be removed from service, power outages could increase significantly by 2030.
The latest order follows a previous emergency directive on May 30, 2025, which required that these two units remain online beyond their planned retirement date. Over the past three months, these units have been called upon during regional heat waves in June and July, contributing to improved energy security for PJM.
The conditions that led to the initial emergency order remain unchanged.
The current order will be effective from August 28 through November 26, 2025.
PJM has raised concerns about having enough resources for several years. In a February 2023 report, PJM highlighted risks related to resource adequacy and reliability due to factors such as load growth and delays in new generation coming online as older resources retire. A December 2024 filing at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission indicated that PJM’s preliminary analysis shows substantial increases in load additions and growing concerns about maintaining adequate resources at a rapid pace (https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/118040/witnesses/HHRG-119-IF03-Wstate-AsthanaM-20250325.pdf). During a March 2025 congressional hearing, Manu Asthana, President and CEO of PJM Interconnection, testified about increasing concerns over resource adequacy affecting a large part of the country.
