WASHINGTON, D.C. – SEPT. 3, 2026

The Department of Energy issued a Section 202(c) emergency order authorizing Duke Energy Carolinas to dispatch specified units during continued hot-weather stress. Duke may also direct backup generation to operate as a last resort before an Energy Emergency Alert 3 or during an EEA 3.

The authority runs from September 3 through September 8 and followed an application submitted by Duke. The action extends this summer’s pattern of federal intervention across multiple regional systems. It does not mean blackouts were certain; it means operators wanted access to every available megawatt. Reserve margins and firm capacity must be adequate before extreme conditions arrive.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy