Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid
This Executive Order aims to bolster the reliability, resilience, and security of the United States electric grid in the face of rising demand and potential grid stress. It directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to streamline emergency authorities under the Federal Power Act to allow generation resources to operate at maximum capacity during periods when grid operators forecast a risk of a partial or complete grid failure. It also requires DOE to develop a uniform, region-wide methodology for assessing reserve margins, publish the methodology and analyses, and establish ongoing processes to identify and protect “critical” generation resources. The order emphasizes using all available generation resources—especially those with secure, redundant fuel supplies capable of extended operation—and it ties actions to the national energy emergency declared earlier in 2025.
Key Points
- 1The policy emphasizes reliability, resilience, and security of the electric grid and requires prioritizing all available generation resources, particularly those with secure, redundant fuel supplies suitable for extended operations.
- 2The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with other relevant agencies, shall streamline and expedite DOE’s use of emergency authorities under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act during periods of grid stress to keep the grid from failing, including approving applications for maximum-capacity operation.
- 3Within 30 days, DOE must develop a uniform methodology to analyze current and anticipated regional reserve margins across the bulk power system, identify regions with margins below thresholds, and publish the methodology and analyses on DOE’s website within 90 days.
- 4DOE must establish a regular assessment process for the methodology and a protocol to identify which regional generation resources are critical to reliability. The protocol must include mechanisms to retain critical resources and to prevent, where appropriate under law, the removal or fuel-conversion of large resources (over 50 MW) if such changes would reduce accredited capacity.
- 5General provisions clarify that nothing in the order impairs existing legal authorities, it must be implemented consistent with law and funding, and it does not create any legal rights for parties outside the federal government.