Energy Secretary Secures Mid-Atlantic Grid Due to Anticipated Stressed System Conditions

Secretary Wright issues an emergency order to stabilize the Mid-Atlantic grid and mitigate the risk of blackouts.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy today issued an emergency order to mitigate blackout risks in the Mid-Atlantic ahead of the forecasted hot weather conditions and planned transmission outages. The order directs PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) to dispatch specified resources and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability. The order also authorizes PJM to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3. PJM is authorized to call upon its Transmission Owners and Electric Distribution Companies to implement the order as needed. The order was issued pursuant to an application from PJM submitted on September 16, 2026.