DOE Activates a Temporary PJM Reliability Order Ahead of Grid Stress
The Energy Department’s Order No. 202-26-50 took effect October 13 and runs through October 16. Issued under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act after an October 11 PJM application, it directs PJM to dispatch specified units as needed and authorizes backup generation as a last resort before or during an Energy Emergency Alert 3. DOE cites elevated demand, planned generator maintenance and transmission outages, and estimates more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation nationwide. The order creates temporary operating authority; it does not establish that every resource will run, that a blackout would otherwise have occurred or that reliability and customer-cost results are already known.
Article updated Oct 13, 2026, 8:58 AM Pacific
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PJM dispatch records, emergency-alert status, emissions or operating waivers, reliability performance and customer-cost effects.
Material unknowns
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Sources
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Independent corroboration or official counterparty record.