PA Environment Digest Blog: Bloomberg: US DOE Orders 760 MW Eddystone Peaking Power Plant In Delaware County To Remain Open Due To The Energy ‘Emergency’ Declared By The President

On May 30, Bloomberg reported the US Department of Energy issued an order to require Constellation Energy Corp.’s Eddystone Generating Station in Delaware County to remain open past its expected closure date of May 31, 2025.

The order requires Units 3 and 4 of the plant to remain open through August 28, 2025 when the order expires.

Eddystone is a peaking electricity generation facility with a capacity of 760 MW that burns either natural gas or oil, depending on market conditions.

A peaking power plant only runs during specific periods of high electricity demand. Peaking plants generate the most expensive power on the grid.

[Editor’s Note: The Independent Fiscal Office reported in February Pennsylvania exported 87 million MW hours of electricity to other states and net exports increased by 24% from 2019 to 2024 and produced 18% of the total generation of the PJM region in 2024. Read more here.]

Units 3 and 4 were installed in 1967 and 1970 and are old steam units that are less efficient [therefore more costly] to operate than newer natural gas power plants.

Construction on the power plant began in the 1950’s.

Two coal-fired units at the plant were retired in 2012 because “these aging units are no longer efficient enough to compete with newer resources.”

DEP just renewed the Title V Air Quality permit for the Eddystone power plant on April 17. Read more here.

The DOE order allows the plant to exceed air pollution limits, but to minimize the environmental impact limits the operation of the power plant only when necessary to meet the “emergency” and following parameters determined by the PJM Interconnection.

Click Here for a copy of the order.

This is the second power plant the US Department of Energy ordered to remain open.

On May 23, DOE ordered a coal-fired power plant in Michigan to remain open due to the President’s energy “emergency. Read more here.

The Chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission said there was no emergency. Read more here.

Reaction

Kit Kennedy, power sector managing director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, released this statement about the DOE action--

“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 orders are about a power grab; not a power emergency. These dirty and expensive fossil plants were slated to close because they could not compete with cheaper, cleaner alternatives."

Click Here for more information on how the Administration is trying to bring back uneconomic fossil fuel-fired electric generation.

NewsClips:

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Orders Constellation To Delay Retiring 760 MW Eddystone Peaking Natural Gas Power Plant In PA To Ease PJM ‘Emergency’ [PJM Had Earlier Approved The Plant Shutdown Saying There Was No Grid Reliability Risk]

-- Bloomberg: US DOE Emergency Order Halts 2nd Power Plant From Closure [PA Eddystone Peaking Plant]

-- WHYY: Electricity Bills In PA, NJ, DE To Rise Starting June 1; Advocates Say More Renewables Would Lower Future Costs

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Electric Bills In PA Are Going Up Next Month, Your Utility Can’t Help It

-- WVIA: Bradford, Northumberland, Tioga And Union Utility Customers Face Rate Hikes

-- PUC Reminder Of June Hearings On Proposed 11% Columbia Gas Rate Increase

Resource Links - Electric Grid:

-- Gov. Shapiro Provides Update On The Fight To Lower Energy Prices, Calls On General Assembly To Move His Commonsense Lightning Energy Plan [PaEN]

-- House Committee Told PA Needs An Energy Policy, Doing Nothing Means We Are Going To Run Out Of Power; Overreliance On One Fuel-- Gas-- Is Raising Electricity Prices [PaEN]

-- PUC Urges Electricity Customers To Start Shopping, Conserve Energy To Help Avoid Impact Of June 1 Rate Increases Of Between 5% and 16% On Most Electric Bills [PaEN]