The Energy Department said Friday it extended emergency orders to help stabilize the grid in the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic region ahead of another expected cold weather event this weekend.
The four orders follow similar emergency actions taken by the administration amid sub-freezing temperatures brought by Winter Storm Fern. Friday’s orders land as freezing temperatures are forecast to last through the weekend and into early next week.
“The Trump Administration is committed to using every available tool, and unleashing all available power generation, to keep the lights on and Americans safe,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. The secretary added the Trump administration is doing everything in its power to undo policies under the Biden administration that he said weakened the U.S. grid.
The orders allow Duke Energy’s generating units to operate up to their maximum generation output levels and to direct backup generation at data centers and other industrial and commercial sites. They similarly allow units in PJM Interconnection, the country’s largest electric grid operator, to operate at their maximum levels and to utilize backup generation resources.
