Trump Admin Enacts Emergency Order After Grid Operator Begs For Help

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order for a major grid operator on Monday evening after it requested that the government do so.

The PJM Interconnection (PJM) requested the order so that it could run the Wagner Generating Station in Maryland beyond its operating limit, and the emergency order allows PJM and Talen Energy to run “specified units” to meet demand, according to DOE. Several major grid operators have been straining under the summer heat, and the DOE has ordered several other emergency orders across the U.S. in recent months to ensure grid reliability in periods of need.

“This order reduces the threat of power outages during peak demand conditions for millions of Americans,” DOE Secretary Chris Wright said. “The Trump administration remains committed to swiftly deploying all available tools and authorities to safeguard the reliability, affordability, and security of the nation’s energy system.”

PJM recently stated that it faces a “growing resource adequacy concern” as demand climbs while power plants age and retire.

“Talen was aware in advance and did not oppose PJM’s request for an order from DOE that exempts Wagner Unit 4 from certain time restrictions in its air permit and will allow the unit to continue to operate for continued reliability,” a spokesperson for the energy company told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Energy sector experts and grid watchdogs have warned for years that America’s electricity demand is on pace to exceed its supply in the coming years, which could lead to widespread blackouts. A recent DOE report from July 9 projected that blackouts could increase by a factor of 100 by 2030 if the U.S. continues to phase out power plants without replacing retiring capacity.

DOE and PJM did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.