Trump Forces Working Families To Bail Out a Second Uneconomic Power Plant
Regional Grid Operator PJM Certified Last Year That Shutting Down Eddystone Posed No Reliability Concerns Whatsoever
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In yet another politically motivated abuse of emergency authorities that will raise consumers’ utility bills, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an order late on Friday to force a power plant to continue operating. Eddystone, owned by Constellation Energy, operates two power generation units just outside Philadelphia. The move is the second time in two weeks that the Trump administration has moved to keep a powerplant in a state with a Democratic governor slated as a Presidential front-runner open after it was set to close.
On December 1, 2023, Constellation Energy notified its regional grid operator, PJM Interconnection, that it wanted to retire its Eddystone Units 3 and 4, effective May 31, 2025 “because continued operation of these units is expected to be uneconomic.”
On February 27, 2024, PJM approved Constellation’s request, writing that it “did not identify any reliability violations resulting from the proposed deactivation of the Eddystone Generating Units #3&4. Because there are no reliability violations associated with the deactivation of this generator … the generating unit may deactivate on May 31, 2025, or sooner if desired.” But in a craven, politically-motivated about face, PJM issued a statement praising Trump’s forced bailout of an uneconomic power plant that will cost working families higher energy bills.
In response, Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, issued the following statement:
“Trump’s last minute emergency order—issued literally on the last day these power plants were set to operate—causes significant, expensive complications. Old units like Eddystone require both minor and major maintenance—maintenance that was deferred because of its planned retirement on May 31. Extending the life of the unit will force ratepayers to shell out money to cover expensive maintenance and overpay for expensive power that will result in American households paying even higher electricity bills, as Trump’s emergency order requires consumers to pay 100% of all costs to get the plant up and running, including a guaranteed profit for Constellation.”
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