Trump Energy Secretary Just Declared An Emergency In The PJM Grid In Order To Keep A Pennsylvania Fossil Power Plant Open
NJ's Climate, Energy, And Air Quality Adversely Impacted
Due To DEP Permit Condition, The Trump Order Would Allow The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission Backup Power Plant To Operate Continuously As A Base Load Plant
Another Reason Why New Jersey Must Sever Ties With PJM
DEP Must Reopen PVSC Air Permit To Eliminate Emergency Condition
The Trump Secretary of Energy just declared an Emergency exists in the PJM grid.
The faux Emergency declaration was manufactured to avoid the shut down and allow continued operation of the fossil fueled Eddystone power plant just South of Philadelphia.
The Emergency Order over-rides environmental laws and protections.
In addition to the obvious air pollution and air quality impacts of continued operation of this fossil power plant on NJ, the Emergency Order illustrates another example of the downsides of NJ's integration and reliance on the PJM.
People are now becoming aware of PJM's role in driving the electricity price spikes of 20 - 30% that began on June 1. An esoteric PJM economic policy known as "capacity charges" is responsible for that increase.
While even now very few people are aware of PJM "capacity charges", we wrote to expose them 13 years ago, when only a handful of insider technocrats knew what "capacity charges" were, see:
But the Trump PJM Emergency declaration also has subtle non-economic effects, due to NJ DEP and BPU's regulatory integration with PJM.
Just one example: the DEP recently issued a Clean Air Act Title V Operating Permit to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) for a fossil fueled backup power plant. The DEP permit does not allow the plant to be operated as a base load power plant, but only in true emergencies (not fake ones).
But a permit condition DEP inserted in the permit would allow the plant to operate 24/7, 365 days a year as a base load plant under the Trump Emergency Declaration.
I'm almost certain very few people in Newark - who strongly opposed the DEP permit and power plant - are aware of this.
I wrote another letter to DEP Commissioner and Legislators seeking reforms:
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Bill WOLFE <>
To: "shawn.latourette@dep.nj.gov" <shawn.latourette@dep.nj.gov>, senbsmith <SenBSmith@njleg.org>, sengreenstein <sengreenstein@njleg.org>, "senmckeon@njleg.org" <senmckeon@njleg.org>, "senzwicker@njleg.org" <senzwicker@njleg.org>, "Hansen, Eric" <EHansen@njleg.org>
Cc: "wparry@ap.org" <wparry@ap.org>, "fkummer@inquirer.com" <fkummer@inquirer.com>, "srodas@njadvancemedia.com" <srodas@njadvancemedia.com>, "O'Neill, James" <ONeillJ@northjersey.com>, "McAlpin, John" <McAlpinJ@njspotlight.com>, "John Mooney, NJ Spotlight News" <njspotlightinfo@e.njspotlightnews.org>, "warrenm@njspotlightnews.org" <warrenm@njspotlightnews.org>, "ferencem@njspotlightnews.org" <ferencem@njspotlightnews.org>, "david@njglobe.com" <david@njglobe.com>, "jonhurdle@gmail.com" <jonhurdle@gmail.com>, domalley <domalley@environmentnewjersey.org>, Anjuli Ramos <anjuli.ramos@sierraclub.org>, "Taylor McFarland, NJ Sierra Club" <taylor.mcfarland@sierraclub.org>, "dpringle1988@gmail.com" <dpringle1988@gmail.com>, "agoldsmith@cleanwater.org" <agoldsmith@cleanwater.org>, "emile@njconservation.org" <emile@njconservation.org>, "ed.potosnak@njlcv.org" <ed.potosnak@njlcv.org>, Matthew Smith <msmith@fwwatch.org>, Ken Dolsky <kdolsky@optonline.net>
Date: 06/02/2025 3:24 PM EDT
Subject: Sect. Energy Order - PJM Emergency
Dear Chairman Smith and DEP Commissioner LaTourette:
On May 30, the Trump Secretary of Energy issued an Order - Order No. 202-25-4 - that declared an Emergency in the PJM region:
"I hereby determine that an emergency exists in portions of the electricity grid operated by PJM Interconnection (PJM) due to a shortage of facilities for the generation of electric energy, resource adequacy concerns, and other causes, and that issuance of this Order will meet the emergency and serve the public interest."
The Order implements a portion of the policy expressed in Trump Executive Order 14262, see: -Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid
The Order effectively over-rides environmental concerns:
"FPA section 202(c)(2) requires the Secretary of Energy to ensure that any 202(c) order that may result in a conflict with a requirement of any environmental law be limited to the “hours necessary to meet the emergency and serve the public interest, and, to the maximum extent practicable,” be consistent with any applicable environmental law and minimize any adverse environmental impacts."
The Order prevents the close and allows continued operation of the fossil fuel fired Eddystone power plants Units 3 and 4 (380 MW) located along the Delaware River in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, just south of Philadelphia, see:
NJ's air quality and public health are adversely impacted by this Order.
NJ's climate vulnerability is adversely impacted by this Order.
The implications of the Order, in terms of PJM Emergency conditions and federal emergency regulatory powers, are severely negative in terms of over-riding environmental laws and NJ's economic interests.
Furthermore, the larger FERC regulatory policy and methodology being developed pursuant to Trump Executive Order 14262 will further undermine NJ's climate, air quality, and energy policies.
For example, the DEP recently issued a Clean Air Act Title V operating permit to the PVSC that includes conditions that would allow Secretary of the Energy, FERC, and/or PJM regulatory decisions to make the PVSC backup power plant a grid operating base load plant, including under the emergency PJM conditions that the Trump Secretary of Energy just declared.
I urge DEP to immediately re-open that permit in light of the Secretary of Energy's PJM Emergency declaration.
I urge legislators to conduct oversight of BPU and DEP and hold public hearings regarding the implications of the aforementioned Executive Order and emergency declaration.
The Legislature, DEP, and BPU need to reassess - and possible sever - integration with PJM.
Legislators and regulatory must consider alternative legislative and regulatory responses to these disastrous Trump climate, air quality, and energy policies.
Bill Wolfe