emergency orders
-
Legal & RegulatoryDOE Uses Emergency Powers to Freeze More Than 2 GW of Coal Retirements as Opposition Intensifies
A rapid succession of Section 202(c) emergency orders has forced utilities to keep more than 2 GW of coal capacity online in December alone, marking an unprecedented federal intervention in grid operations and triggering legal challenges from states and environmental groups. Across all orders issued since May 2025, the DOE has now stalled the retirement […]
-
PowerDOE Orders Fossil Units Online After Puerto Rico Blackouts, Citing Dispatchable Capacity Need
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has invoked emergency authority to compel Puerto Rico’s public utility to dispatch mothballed oil-fired and fossil-fueled power units, citing an imminent threat to grid reliability following two major blackouts in less than a month. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, acting on behalf of the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, […]