August 21, 2026 | Source: U.S. Department of Energy, CESER — Order No. 202-26-25A
DOE Orders Wagner Unit 4 Back Online Through November
On August 19, 2026, DOE issued emergency Order No. 202-26-25A under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. It authorizes PJM Interconnection, in coordination with Talen Energy, to run Unit 4 at the Wagner Generating Station in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
The order is effective August 20, 2026, through November 17, 2026 — a direct renewal of Order No. 202-26-25, the original authorization issued in May 2026 that expired August 19.
This is now the fourth consecutive 202(c) order keeping Wagner Unit 4 running beyond its normal operating limits since PJM first flagged a "growing resource adequacy concern" to DOE in its July 2025 request.
What Back-to-Back Emergency Orders Signal for PJM Operators
A single 202(c) order is a short-term bridge. A fourth straight renewal on the same unit is a pattern — and it tells you PJM's underlying capacity math in the Mid-Atlantic still isn't closing without emergency generation help.
For reliability coordinators and transmission planners, that means Wagner Unit 4's exceedance authority shouldn't be treated as a one-off. Build it into fall and early-winter resource adequacy assumptions, and watch whether DOE extends again as the November 17 deadline approaches.
For compliance teams, each renewal resets the documentation clock: track the specific operating limit being exceeded, the coordination terms with Talen Energy, and the emergency justification on file, since these details matter if the order becomes a subject of FERC review or stakeholder inquiry.
EPG Solutions Can Help
Recurring 202(c) orders are exactly the kind of signal our benchmark intelligence reports are built to track — helping ops and compliance teams see resource adequacy stress before it becomes a headline. Visit EPG Solutions → epgsolutions.services