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Wright defends DOE emergency orders to keep coal plants online as lawmakers press reliability risks
Summary
Secretary Wright told the Energy subcommittee he used statutory authority to order baseload plants to remain online under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act; members disputed the costs and called for clearer coordination with grid operators and FERC.
Secretary Chris Wright told House Energy and Commerce members that the Department of Energy used its statutory authority under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to direct operators to keep certain baseload power plants running to protect regional reliability, citing concerns about tight reserve margins in parts of the grid.
Wright said, "I made those decisions," when asked who authorized the orders to keep two plants open beyond planned retirements. He described the decision as a response to actual reliability threats and told members that within days of…
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