DOE orders PJM to dispatch backup power for Mid-Atlantic grid

DOE orders emergency grid measures for the Mid-Atlantic through Sept 18

The Department of Energy ordered PJM to dispatch backup power across the Mid-Atlantic through September 18, citing hot weather and planned transmission outages.

By OGGN Staff·17 Sep 2026, 08:00·2 min read

Example of a high-voltage transmission line, not the site in this story. Photo: Lupus in Saxonia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order on September 17, 2026, to cut the risk of blackouts across the Mid-Atlantic grid, citing forecasted hot weather and planned transmission outages. The emergency order directs PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., the regional grid operator, to dispatch specified resources and order their operation as needed to maintain reliability.

The order also lets PJM call on backup generation resources as a last resort before it declares an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3, or while an EEA 3 is in effect. PJM can call on its Transmission Owners and Electric Distribution Companies to carry out the order as needed. DOE issued the order after PJM applied for it on September 16, 2026.

Order at a glance

Applicant: PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.
Filed: September 16, 2026
Effective: September 17 through September 18, 2026
DOE estimate of available backup generation nationwide: more than 35 GW

Secretary cites daylight hours and past retirements

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the order would "help secure reliable electricity access for millions of American families and businesses" by making more generation, including backup power, available as needed. Wright said the shift toward fall means fewer daylight hours and less solar generation, and he cited warnings from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation about the risk late-summer heat spikes pose to a grid that has retired reliable power sources. He said the administration is committed to using every available tool to prevent blackouts.

Reserve capacity

DOE estimates more than 35 GW of unused backup generation is available nationwide, the pool of capacity the order draws on if PJM needs it before or during an EEA 3.

Why it matters

The order gives PJM standing authority to call on backup generators and utilities without waiting for conditions to reach a full EEA 3, which widens the operator's options going into a period of forecast heat and reduced transmission capacity. Traders watching Mid-Atlantic power prices have a two-day window, September 17 through 18, in which dispatchable backup supply is explicitly on the table.

What's next. Watch whether PJM ends up ordering backup generation or Transmission Owners and Electric Distribution Companies to act before the order expires on September 18, and whether conditions push PJM to declare an EEA 3.

Sources

PrimaryUS DOE · energy.gov

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