America’s electricity policy is turning reactive. From surprise emergency orders to tech-fueled grid ambitions, this week shows what happens when energy planning collides with political pressure and AI-scale demand. Coal, oil, gas, and nuclear are all back on the menu—because the grid can’t afford to be picky. This is GridBrief.

DOE Orders Eddystone Plant to Stay Online as PJM Faces Summer Strain

For the second time in two weeks, the Department of Energy has invoked emergency powers to delay a plant retirement—this time directing Constellation Energy to keep 760 MW of peaking capacity online at its aging Eddystone facility outside Philadelphia.

• Units 3 and 4 were slated to shut down June 1. They’ll now operate through at least August 28.

• DOE acted without a request from PJM or Constellation—just as it did with Michigan’s Campbell coal plant last month.

• The agency cited PJM warnings of potential shortages under extreme heat conditions and an executive order requiring new metrics to prevent critical plant retirements.

Why this matters:
This marks a growing shift: DOE is no longer just responding to emergencies—it’s preempting them. Two “zombie plant” interventions in 10 days suggest the Trump administration is constructing a new doctrine: reliability at any cost.

Complications:
The order throws a wrench into Constellation’s $16.4 billion acquisition of Calpine, which hinges on selling assets in eastern PJM—where Eddystone is located. Environmental groups are pressing FERC to scrutinize the market impact of keeping the plant alive.

GridBrief Context:
Eddystone’s stay of execution mirrors DOE’s move with Campbell, both targeting aging plants once deemed non-essential by grid operators. It’s a sign that summer demand and slow infrastructure buildouts are forcing regulators to hit pause on the energy transition—even if only temporarily.

Meta Strikes 1.1 GW Nuclear Deal, Keeps Clinton Plant Alive

Constellation Energy just landed a 20-year agreement to supply Meta with all 1.1 GW from its Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois—one of the biggest corporate nuclear deals to date.

• Without Meta’s commitment, the Clinton plant was at risk of closing as zero-emissions credits expired.

• The deal will support the plant’s relicensing and a 30 MW output expansion.

• Constellation is also exploring building an SMR on-site.

Why it matters:
This isn’t just a power purchase agreement—it’s industrial policy by proxy. Meta’s deal revives a key reactor, insulates its AI ambitions from energy volatility, and signals that big tech is now underwriting America’s nuclear renaissance.

The trend:
Meta joins Microsoft, Amazon, and Google in betting big on nuclear. It’s no longer about flashy SMR pilots. It’s about securing megawatts today to sustain teraflops tomorrow.

Zoom out:
President Trump’s recent nuclear executive orders set a goal of 400 GW by 2050. With demand exploding from data centers, AI, and crypto, expect more tech–nuclear marriages—and more legacy plants getting a second lease on life.

New Jersey Passes Bill to Probe Data Center Strain on the Grid

New Jersey’s legislature just approved a bill directing the Board of Public Utilities to study how much data centers are driving up power demand—and ratepayer bills.

• The study will calculate how much of new grid spending is tied to data centers.

• A separate resolution urges PJM to reform its pricing model and expedite generation approvals.

Why it matters:
This is the first formal attempt by a state to put AI-era energy demand under the microscope. With electricity costs rising and summer demand surging, local lawmakers are asking: Are data centers distorting the grid—and who’s paying for it?

GridBrief Trend Watch:
From Meta’s Clinton deal to Trump’s AI-fueled nuclear orders, the energy footprint of tech is now shaping energy policy. NJ’s move could set a precedent: expect more states to start regulating and taxing data center load—or demanding infrastructure concessions in return.

Big Picture:
As City Journal’s Mark P. Mills put it this week, “Eventually, the cost of intelligence will converge with the cost of energy.” That convergence is no longer theoretical—it’s now baked into energy procurement, regulatory fights, and even state legislation.

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Conversation Starters

• City Journal – “The Cost of Intelligence Is the Cost of Energy”
  AI’s growth is shattering the myth that digital bits don’t have material weight. One data center = 2 million households’ worth of power. The digital economy runs on atoms, and it’s accelerating global energy demand.

• The Guardian – Nuclear’s Global Comeback
  After Spain’s blackout, nuclear is gaining traction again across Europe. Politicians are quietly backing away from phaseouts and rebooting reactors to serve the AI economy.

• RC Energy – Senate GOP Urged to Rescue Energy R&D
  While the House slashes DOE’s innovation offices, policy experts warn that gutting R&D will cripple America’s competitiveness in next-gen energy tech—and hand China the future.

Good Bet, Bad Bet

Good Bet: Constellation Energy (CEG)
In 10 days, it secured a federal emergency order protecting 760 MW of generation and a 20-year nuclear offtake deal with Meta. CEG is quietly becoming the most politically and digitally aligned power company in America. Investors seem to agree—shares jumped 15% on the Meta news.

Bad Bet: Betting on Summer Retirements
Plant shutdowns used to be a certainty. No longer. DOE’s new methodology will flag critical plants for emergency retention—and 2025’s heat may extend the stay for more units. Betting on firm retirements in volatile regions like PJM and MISO is starting to look like shorting gravity.

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