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Tuesday, October 13, 2026

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Energy · Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Energy secretary orders the mid-Atlantic grid operator to line up backup power

The File desk · Oct 13, 2026, 10:57 AM UTC

Status

Confirmed. The Energy Department’s Oct. 12 release and the page for

, issued under .

  • Confirmed

    tells PJM Interconnection to run specified plants as needed and lets it call on backup generators as a last resort. It runs Oct. 13 through Oct. 16.

  • Confirmed

    The order follows an application PJM filed on Oct. 11. The department’s nationwide backup-power estimate is not a figure for how much this order switches on.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Monday ordered PJM Interconnection, the mid-Atlantic grid operator, to be ready to run extra power plants through Friday.

, under , tells PJM to dispatch specified units as needed to keep the system reliable, and lets it direct backup generators to run as a last resort before or during an Energy Emergency Alert 3. The order is in effect Oct. 13 through Oct. 16. PJM asked for it on Oct. 11. No new inflation or jobs figure came with it.

The department’s article is dated Oct. 12, 2026. It says Wright issued the order ahead of elevated demand, a high rate of planned generator outages in the autumn maintenance season, and numerous planned transmission outages. PJM may call on its transmission owners and electric distribution companies to carry the order out.

The order page gives the same operative terms and the citation:

, Department of Energy . The page lists PJM’s application, dated Oct. 11, an exhibit dated Oct. 12, and the order itself. This desk read the order page. It did not open the application PDF.

The article quotes Wright: the order will “help ensure millions of American families and businesses across the mid-Atlantic have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity by making additional power generation, including backup power, available to use as needed.” He also said earlier leaders’ policies left the grid more exposed to blackouts when the sun is down or the wind is low. That sentence is his argument.

The department says it estimates more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation remains available nationwide. The article does not say that 35 gigawatts is what this order turns on in PJM, and it does not say an alert has been declared.

The Federal Reserve’s October calendar marks Monday as Columbus Day and says the daily and weekly statistical releases scheduled for that day move to Tuesday, Oct. 13. That is a calendar shift, not a new price index. The September Consumer Price Index remains Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The next time the Fed could change rates is still the Oct. 27–28 meeting.

What is still unknown or disputed

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Energy Secretary Secures Mid-Atlantic Grid Ahead of Anticipated Stressed System Conditions

    U.S. Department of Energy · October 12, 2026

    The order directs PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) to dispatch specified units and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability and authorizes PJM to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3. The order is effective October 13, 2026, through October 16, 2026.

    https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-secretary-secures-mid-atlantic-grid-ahead-anticipated-stressed-system-conditions

  2. Source 2

    Federal Power Act Section 202(c): PJM Order No. 202-26-50

    U.S. Department of Energy · October 12, 2026

    On October 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued emergency DOE , pursuant to , to PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM).

    https://www.energy.gov/ceser/federal-power-act-section-202c-pjm-interconnection-llc-pjm-order-no-202-26-50

  3. Source 3

    Federal Reserve October 2026 calendar

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System · October 12, 2026

    Holiday - Columbus Day. The daily and weekly statistical releases scheduled for today will be released on Tuesday, October 13.

    https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/2026-october.htm