Energy Department Directs PJM Unit Dispatch, Authorizes Backup Resources

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) directed PJM Interconnection to dispatch specified generating units and authorized backup resources at large electricity loads as PJM addresses a declared statutory power emergency.

The order, signed Oct. 12, is effective from Oct. 13 through Oct. 16, 2026. It permits PJM to use the resources listed in Exhibit A when necessary to maintain reliability and allows backup generation to operate before or during an Energy Emergency Alert 3, a stage that precedes or involves firm load interruption.

PJM forecasts demand at or around 111,500 megawatts or higher for Oct. 13. It expects to be within 900 megawatts of its reserve margin on Oct. 14 and anticipates about 61,591 megawatts of generation outages across its system.

The BGE, PEPCO and Dominion zones face the most acute issues. Transmission constraints include the Conastone–Peach Bottom 5012 500-kilovolt facility, the Crete–St. Johns 345-kilovolt tie line with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator and the Fostoria–Lallendorf corridor.

PJM identified the Exhibit A resources as needed for the Oct. 13 operating day. The order does not require the listed units to run at maximum capacity.

The order invokes the Energy Department’s emergency authority under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. PJM serves as the reliability coordinator and balancing authority for all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Exhibit A includes natural-gas, gas/oil and dual-fuel units in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina. Their listed nameplate capacities range from 55 megawatts to 825 megawatts.

PJM may also direct auxiliary, standby, directly connected, battery-storage and other backup resources at large loads when necessary. The order excludes backup resources serving critical facilities such as hospitals, 911 call centers, water-treatment facilities, air-traffic-control facilities and certain defense and natural-gas infrastructure.

PJM issued capacity advisories for Oct. 13 and Oct. 14. Its contingency plans include bringing sidelined generators back online, canceling external power sales, reducing demand and easing transmission congestion.