Energy Department Blocks Closure of Power Generation Units

Continued operation of the units is expected to reduce risks of power generation shortfall and electricity outages in the United States.

Electric power lines at sunset in El Segundo, California, on Aug. 31, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order on May 31 that directs power grid operator PJM Interconnection to continue running two fossil fuel power generation units beyond their scheduled end date in a bid to safeguard electric grid reliability, the agency said in a May 31 statement.

PJM, which administers the largest power grid in North America, manages the electric system that provides power to 67 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia.