PHILADELPHIA — An aging oil-and-gas power plant in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, will remain operational past its planned shutdown following an emergency order from the Trump administration just hours before its scheduled retirement.
The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday directed Constellation Energy and PJM Interconnection to keep Eddystone Generating Station Units 3 and 4 on standby through at least August 28, citing a national “energy emergency” declared by President Trump in January. The move is aimed at bolstering grid reliability amid rising power demands from artificial intelligence data centers.
Environmental advocates condemned the order. “This plant wasn’t needed when it was supposed to close, and it’s still not needed now,” said Robert Routh of the Natural Resources Defense Council, warning of higher costs and pollution.
Constellation, which had deemed the plant uneconomical, said the units run just 1.5% of the time and it’s now scrambling to retain staff and prep equipment. Meanwhile, opponents say the order stretches the emergency authority of the Federal Power Act and undermines progress on clean energy.
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