The U.S. Department of Energy has issued an emergency order to keep a Pennsylvania power plant running past its scheduled retirement, citing concerns about electricity supply during high-demand periods.
The order affects the PJM power grid, which covers 13 states including Virginia.
The Eddystone Generating Station near Philadelphia includes two units that were supposed to shut down on May 31. But PJM, the regional grid operator, asked the federal government to allow the plant to stay online to help meet peak electricity needs during the summer.
The Department of Energy approved the request on May 30, using emergency authority under federal law.
“Americans should never be left wondering whether they will be able to turn on their lights or air conditioning. This emergency order helps keep money in consumers’ pockets while keeping their homes and businesses fully powered. Energy shortfalls or unnecessary price increases are not options in this Administration,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in a statement.
Although the order applies to a single site in Pennsylvania, the conditions behind it affect the entire PJM grid. Virginia is part of that grid and has seen similar trends — including more electricity demand, fewer dispatchable power sources like gas plants, and delays in bringing new projects online.
PJM projects that electricity use will rise sharply in the next 15 years, especially in areas with fast-growing data centers like Northern Virginia. The grid operator’s latest forecast shows peak summer demand increasing from 154,000 megawatts in 2025 to 220,000 megawatts by 2040.
In Virginia, more than 1,800 megawatts of electricity generation were shut down in 2023. At the same time, most new energy projects being proposed in the state are solar or battery storage. PJM has said these resources may not always be available during peak demand without backup from other types of generation.
Virginia has also become the largest importer of electricity from other states, according to federal data previously reported by The Center Square. In 2023, the commonwealth imported the most electricity from Pennsylvania — the same state affected by the Department of Energy’s emergency order.
The emergency order will remain in effect as long as PJM determines the plant is needed to keep the grid stable during periods of high electricity use.
