July 23, 2026 | Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response — DOE Order No. 202-26-36
DOE's 36th Emergency Order of 2026 Puts SPP on Federal Dispatch
On July 20, DOE issued emergency Order No. 202-26-36 under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to Southwest Power Pool — at SPP's own request.
The order directed SPP to dispatch specified generating units as needed to maintain reliability. It also authorized SPP to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3, or during one.
The order took effect on issuance and expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on July 21. It is the 36th Section 202(c) order DOE has issued in 2026 — PJM ran under a nearly identical order (No. 202-26-35) from July 14 through the same July 21 expiration.
202(c) Is Now a Routine Summer Tool. Plan Like It.
A decade ago, a 202(c) order was hurricane-and-polar-vortex territory. In 2026, DOE has averaged more than one per week — covering must-run units, permit-limit waivers, and backup generation at large loads as a pre-EEA 3 resort.
If you operate in SPP, MISO, or PJM, your control room needs a procedure for the day one of these lands: who receives the order, how directed dispatch gets logged, and how it maps into your EOP-011 emergency operating plan. An order that expires in 48 hours leaves no time to figure that out live.
Two details deserve attention. Backup generation at data centers as a pre-EEA 3 resort is now standard order language — coordinate with your large-load customers before you need them. And units run under federal direction still generate evidence obligations: log the directive, the dispatch, and the timeline, because the after-action review always comes.
EPG Solutions Can Help
Two-day emergency orders reward the control rooms that see tight conditions coming. EPG Solutions' real-time situational awareness work with RTDMS and PGDA helps operators spot system stress before it becomes an EEA — and document what happened after. Visit EPG Solutions → epgsolutions.services