DOE Issues Emergency Order 202-26-40 Mandating Pennsylvania Grid Reliability Generation

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Department of Energy (DOE) issued emergency Order No. 202-26-40 under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, ordering regional grid operator PJM Interconnection to ensure Units 3 and 4 of the Eddystone Generating Station in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, remain fully available for commercial power dispatch through November 20, 2026.

Preventing Grid Instability Amid Surging Mid-Atlantic Power Loads

The emergency federal order responds to urgent reliability petitions submitted by PJM following extreme late-summer regional heat waves and unprecedented electrical demand from regional industrial manufacturing and data center corridors. The order authorizes the Eddystone units to generate electricity up to their maximum 700-megawatt operating capacity when transmission system voltages drop, temporarily waiving local air operating permit run-time constraints during emergency grid calls.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm affirmed that the federal government will use all statutory authorities to ensure electricity grids remain reliable, preventing blackouts for millions of Mid-Atlantic residents.

PJM Interconnection and Environmental Coalition Responses

PJM grid dispatchers praised the emergency order, noting that Eddystone provides vital reactive power support to stabilize high-voltage transmission lines connecting Philadelphia and Delaware.

Environmental and clean air advocates urged rapid deployment of regional battery energy storage to phase out fossil peaker generation.

Order Duration

Emergency Order No. 202-26-40 remains in full legal effect through 11:59 PM on November 20, 2026.