U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, allowing PJM Interconnection, in partnership with Talen Energy Corporation, to operate specific units at the Wagner Generating Station to meet projected electricity demand during the winter months.
"On Day One, President Trump declared an energy emergency and began reversing the impacts of the dangerous energy subtraction policies of the previous administration. Unfortunately, the energy emergency continues to impact many regions of our nation," Secretary Wright said. "To ensure 65 million Americans in 13 states and D.C. do not experience blackouts in the coming winter months, I am issuing an emergency order for PJM Interconnection. Americans deserve reliable power regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining and especially during a cold snap. The Trump administration is committed to keeping your families safe and restoring access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity."
According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Winter Reliability Assessment, PJM’s service area faces risks of electricity supply shortfalls during periods of more extreme conditions this winter.
Earlier this year, Secretary Wright approved PJM’s request to dispatch and operate Unit 4 at Maryland's Wagner Generating Station beyond its usual operating limit during a period of high demand in July, which ensured energy reliability for 65 million Americans in PJM’s service area during the summer. PJM has indicated that the same "growing resource adequacy concern" cited in July persists.
PJM has stated it expects continued need to operate Unit 4 at Wagner Generating Station through the end of 2025 and has submitted a renewal application to address ongoing emergency needs. Last winter, Unit 4 was used 11 times in a single month to help manage record high electricity loads.
The new emergency order will take effect on October 26, 2025, and will remain in place through December 31, 2025.
PJM has repeatedly expressed concerns about resource adequacy. In its February 2023 Energy Transition Report, PJM identified increased reliability risks due to a potential mismatch between resource retirements, load growth, and the rate at which new generation comes online. In December 2024, PJM told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that it is seeing significant increases in demand and that its concerns about resource adequacy are rising rapidly (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20241213-5091&optimized=false). In March 2025, PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana testified before Congress about growing concerns over resource adequacy affecting a large portion of the country (https://energycommerce.house.gov/events/hearings/keeping-the-lights-on-examining-the-state-of-regional-reliability).
