U.S. Energy Secretary issues emergency order to keep two Pennsylvania power units online through November 2026

On August 21, 2026, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed an emergency order telling PJM Interconnection and Constellation Energy to keep two natural gas and oil units at Pennsylvania’s Eddystone Generating Station online through November 20, 2026. The order kicks in August 23 and targets Units 3 and 4—both originally slated to close more than a year ago—to head off what federal officials say are serious grid reliability risks across the Mid-Atlantic.

Emergency order keeps Eddystone units online past planned shutdown

The order covers roughly three months: August 23 through November 20, 2026. It targets Units 3 and 4 at Eddystone, a fossil-fuel plant in Pennsylvania that Constellation Energy operates. PJM Interconnection—the regional transmission organization that coordinates electricity flow across a large chunk of the eastern U.S.—is directed to work with Constellation to keep both units available during that window.

The timeline is what stands out. Units 3 and 4 were originally scheduled to retire on May 31, 2025, more than a year before this order was even signed. Being called back into service says a lot about how tight things have gotten on the regional grid.

grid have enough reliable generation capacity to handle peak demand, and what happens when that capacity disappears before adequate replacements are in place?

Grid reliability concerns cited as cause for the order

The Department of Energy pointed to critical grid reliability issues in the Mid-Atlantic as the reason for acting. Federal officials didn’t present this as a precaution—they framed it as a direct response to documented stress on the regional power system.

Recent heat waves played a clear role in that assessment. Elevated temperatures pushed electricity demand up and stretched available capacity. During those peak periods natural gas, and nuclear were identified as the sources keeping supply in balance with demand. Secretary Wright put it plainly: “During recent Mid-Atlantic heat waves, natural gas, and nuclear kept the lights and air conditioners on.”

The longer-term picture is starker. DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report warns that power outages could increase by 100 times by 2030 if the U.S. keeps retiring reliable generation capacity at its current pace—and that projection is the backdrop against which this order was issued.

Order requires economic dispatch to limit costs for consumers

The order doesn’t just say “keep the units running.” It also specifies how. PJM is directed to use economic dispatch, a method that sequences generation resources to minimize costs for ratepayers.

That requirement matters. It signals the administration isn’t chasing reliability at any price. Wright described the administration’s commitment to ensuring Americans have “affordable, reliable, and secure power—regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.” The order is also geographically limited, applying only to PJM’s Mid-Atlantic territory during those three months—not to other parts of the country.

Background: PJM grid, Eddystone Station, and U.S. generation retirements

PJM Interconnection runs one of the largest electricity transmission systems in the world, serving 13 states and Washington D.C.—critical infrastructure for tens of millions of people. Eddystone sits within that footprint, a fossil-fuel plant in Pennsylvania under Constellation Energy’s umbrella, with Units 3 and 4 originally set to retire May 31, 2025, in line with the broader national trend of taking older gas capacity offline.

That trend has accelerated over the past decade. Natural gas capacity has been retiring faster, driven by market economics, environmental regulations, and renewable growth. The result is a grid that, in some regions, carries less dispatchable backup than it once did—and less margin when demand spikes.

DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report tracks exactly this kind of shift, monitoring whether retiring generation is being replaced quickly and reliably enough to keep the grid stable under peak demand. The warning about a 100-fold increase in outages by 2030 reflects what federal officials say happens when that replacement pace falls short.

What to take away from this order

A few things are worth keeping clear. Secretary Wright signed this emergency order on August 21, 2026. It runs from August 23 through November 20, 2026, covering Units 3 and 4 at Eddystone—natural gas and oil-fired units that were supposed to shut down over a year ago. Economic dispatch is required to protect consumers from unnecessary cost increases, and the Department of Energy cited both heat wave stress and the projected 100-fold outage increase by 2030 as its core justification.

It’s temporary. It’s regional. But it reflects a real and growing federal concern: does the U.S. grid have enough reliable generation capacity to handle peak demand, and what happens when that capacity disappears before adequate replacements are in place?

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.