Trump Administration Orders Aging Pennsylvania Power Plant to Keep Running

Strategic Insights -

A half-century-old Pennsylvania power plant, the Eddystone Generating Station, has been ordered by the Trump administration to continue operating beyond its scheduled shutdown date. The power plant, fueled by oil and natural gas, was set to close due to economic reasons, but a recent order from the U.S. Department of Energy has directed the plant's owner, Constellation Energy, and grid manager PJM Interconnection to keep it running.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Eddystone Generating Station, a 760-megawatt power plant near Philadelphia, has been ordered to continue operating by the Trump administration.
  • The plant was scheduled to close on April 30, 2025, due to economic reasons, but a new order has been issued to keep it running until August 28, 2025.
  • The order from Energy Secretary Chris Wright cites a national "energy emergency" and PJM's responsibility to ensure electric reliability as justification for the continued operation.
  • The plant has not been operating at full capacity, running only 1.5 percent of the time, and is owned by Constellation Energy, which had decided to close it for economic reasons.
  • The continued operation of the plant will increase costs for the ratepayers and will likely result in the draining of fuel tanks and postponement of necessary maintenance.
  • Environmentalists have criticized the order, citing the lack of authority for the DOE to use the Federal Power Act to issue such an order and the potential harm to the environment.
  • The order is the second of its kind from the Trump administration, with the first order issued in late May to keep the J.H. Campbell Plant in western Michigan open past its scheduled closure date.

Statistics:

  • 760 megawatts: The combined generating capacity of the two units at the Eddystone Generating Station.
  • 1.5 percent: The percentage of time the plant has been operating during peak demand hours.
  • 3.5 billion dollars: The estimated cost of keeping the plant running for 90 days.
  • 2027: The new target date for restarting one unit at Three Mile Island, a nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
  • 13: The number of states plus the District of Columbia that make up PJM's territory.
  • 1.1 gigawatts: The amount of nuclear power that Constellation will supply to Meta (parent company of Facebook) over 20 years.

Sources:

  • "U.S. Department of Energy Order Issued on 2025-05-25" [https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/Federal%20Power%20Act%20Section%20202%28c%29%20PJM%20Interconnection.pdf]
  • "White House Press Release on 2025-01-20" [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/#:~:text=It%20is%20thus%20in%20the,grounded%20in%20clearly%20applicable%20law;]
  • "Executive Order on 2025-04-08" [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/protecting-american-energy-from-state-overreach/]
  • "Inside Climate News - Trump Budget Worry Energy Environment Advocates" [https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05052025/trump-budget-worry-energy-environment-advocates/]
  • "Constellation Energy Press Release on 2023-05-01" [https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03062025/meta-constellation-nuclear-power-deal/]
  • "Delaware Riverkeeper Network Press Release on 2025-05-31" [https://insideclimatenews.org/news/04062025/trump-orders-aging-pennsylvania-power-plant-to-keep-running/]
  • "PJM Interconnection Press Release on 2025-03-25" [https://www.pjm.com/-/media/DotCom/library/reports-notices/testimony/2025/20250325-asthana-testimony-us-house-subcommittee-on-energy.pdf]
  • "Natural Resources Defense Council Press Release on 2025-05-29" [https://insideclimatenews.org/news/04062025/trump-orders-aging-pennsylvania-power-plant-to-keep-running/]