Overview

• Energy Secretary Chris Wright said utilities have been urged to delay retiring coal units and keep them operating longer.
• Wright estimated the U.S. will need about 100 gigawatts of additional round-the-clock capacity within five years, excluding intermittent renewables.
• The Energy Department and the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council are drafting criteria to expand Section 202(c) must-run orders, according to people familiar with the planning.
• DOE has already issued emergency orders this year to preserve generating capacity, while critics warn that sustaining unprofitable coal plants could raise consumer bills.
• The strategy also seeks more continuous use of peaker plants, access to DOE land that has drawn roughly 300 development inquiries, and nuclear restarts including Three Mile Island to supply Microsoft data centers.