U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Monday issued an emergency order to “mitigate blackout risks in the mid-Atlantic ahead of a period of elevated demand, a high rate of planned generator outages during the autumn maintenance season, and numerous planned transmission outages.”
“The order directs PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) to dispatch specified units and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability and authorizes PJM to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3,” a press release from the Energy Department read.
“PJM is authorized to call upon its Transmission Owners and Electric Distribution Companies to implement the order as needed. The order was issued pursuant to an application from PJM submitted on October 11, 2026,” it continued.
“DOE estimates more than 35 GW of unused backup generation remains available nationwide. The order is effective October 13, 2026, through October 16, 2026,” it added.
“This order will help ensure millions of American families and businesses across the mid-Atlantic have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity by making additional power generation, including backup power, available to use as needed,” said Wright.
“While past leaders’ energy subtraction policies have made the grid more vulnerable to the risk of blackouts when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, this administration remains committed to using every available tool to prevent blackouts,” he added.
BREAKING 🚨 The Federal Government just declared a POWER GRID EMERGENCY across 13 states + D.C…
Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia… and Washington D.C.
The Department… pic.twitter.com/zG25nIgswE
— Patrick Humphrey (@PatrickHumphre) October 13, 2026
More from The Economic Times:
Under the order, the grid operator can mandate certain power plants to generate electricity and, in limited circumstances, tap into backup power reserves to maintain a steady flow of energy across its multistate network, as per the order available on the department’s official website. Federal officials and grid managers clarified that the order is designed specifically to prevent power interruptions and not to announce scheduled blackouts.
Headquartered in the Philadelphia area, PJM Interconnection coordinates wholesale electricity movement across all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia.
“PJM serves as the Reliability Coordinator and Balancing Authority for its region and is, therefore, responsible for overseeing the dispatch of generation to meet system demand at all times within the limits of the transmission system. The PJM Region includes all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia,” the order says.
Read the full order HERE.
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