DOE issued emergency orders authorizing Duke, PJM, and NYISO to operate power plants at maximum capacity—bypassing environmental emissions limits—to prevent blackouts during a prolonged post-storm freeze. (Utility Dive)
PJM, facing a potential historic streak of demand exceeding 130 GW, received specific authorization to deploy customer-owned backup generation, including moving volunteer data centers off the grid and onto their own generators.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated the move is part of the administration's commitment to "unleashing all available power generation" as temperatures in the Southeast drop 15–20 degrees below normal.