U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order on October 12, 2026, directing PJM Interconnection to dispatch specified generating units and order their operation as needed to maintain reliability in the mid-Atlantic. The order takes effect October 13, 2026, and runs through October 16, 2026.
What the order allows
The Department of Energy (DOE) said the order responds to three conditions: a period of elevated demand, a high rate of planned generator outages during the autumn maintenance season, and numerous planned transmission outages.
Beyond dispatching named units, the order authorizes PJM to direct backup generation resources to run as a last resort. PJM can use that power before it declares an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3, or during an EEA 3. The order also lets PJM call on its Transmission Owners and Electric Distribution Companies to carry out the order as needed.
PJM submitted the application on October 11, 2026, and the order was issued under that application.
Wright's statement
Wright said the order will help ensure that millions of American families and businesses across the mid-Atlantic have affordable, reliable and secure electricity by making additional generation, including backup power, available when needed. He also said past leaders' energy policies have left the grid more vulnerable to blackouts when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow, and that the administration will use every available tool to prevent them.
Backup capacity nationwide
DOE estimates that more than 35 GW of unused backup generation remains available nationwide. The order itself covers the mid-Atlantic region PJM serves and lasts four days.
