The Trump administration has ordered the Eddystone generating station in the US state of Pennsylvania to remain operational under emergency powers, just one day before the facility was set to close.
Eddystone generating station was to shut down its last operational units on 31 May 2025 but is now mandated to remain online due to an order from the Energy Department, as reported by Bloomberg.
The directive invokes a provision of federal law that is typically reserved for emergencies, including extreme weather events and wartime situations.
Owned and operated by Constellation, the Eddystone generating station began operations in 1960.
With a capacity of 820MW, it is located on the Delaware River in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, south of Philadelphia.
The plant has two remaining units capable of burning either natural gas or oil during times of high power demand.
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By GlobalDataThe latest order comes after a department mandate on 23 May 2025 that the JH Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan, remain active past its planned shutdown date of 31 May.
The Trump administration states that these actions were prompted by various factors, including an electricity shortage. This decision faced criticism from the chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission, who argued that there was no actual emergency.
Natural Resources Defence Council managing director Kit Kennedy was quoted by the media outlet: “The Department of Energy’s move to keep these zombie plants online will have significant public health impacts and increase electricity costs for people in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“These dirty and expensive fossil plants were slated to close because they could not compete with cheaper, cleaner alternatives.”
The Energy Department issued a second order following PJM Interconnection’s acceptance of Constellation’s retirement notice for its Eddystone plant following an evaluation of whether the plant’s closure would impact grid reliability. However, in a statement released on 31 May, PJM, which oversees the largest US grid stretching from Washington DC to Illinois, expressed its support for the Energy Department’s order.
On Saturday 31 May, following the order, Constellation announced immediate actions aimed at maintaining operations at last units at its Eddystone power plant throughout the summer months while exploring options for extended functionality until work can be completed at Pennsylvania’s closed Three Mile Island nuclear plant.
Constellation is collaborating with PJM in plans to restart the nuclear reactor by 2027. Constellation had originally expected it to become operational in 2028.
