Energy Secretary Secures Carolinas’ Grid Amidst Hot Weather Conditions

Secretary Wright issued an emergency order to stabilize the Carolinas’ grid and mitigate blackout risks amid hot weather conditions.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order to mitigate the risk of blackouts in the Carolinas amid hot weather conditions. Issued pursuant to Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, the order authorizes Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke) to dispatch specified resources and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability. The order also authorizes Duke, in collaboration with its Transmission Owners, to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3. This order was issued pursuant to an application from Duke submitted on September 18, 2026.