Energy Department Order Takes Aim at Mid-Atlantic Blackout Risk

What prompted the order?

The emergency order was issued on Monday in response to an application by the grid operator PJM Interconnection, which coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity to at least 67 million people in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

“We’re sometimes called air traffic controllers of the power grid,” a company profile says.

The order gives the grid operator the authority to tap into backup generators, like those using diesel, to be used to support power grids if needed. Such a step would be taken before issuing a level 3 emergency alert, in which customers are asked to use less power or PJM takes other steps to avoid grid failure, such as by issuing rolling blackouts.

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Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/business/department-of-energy-emergency-power-order.html