The Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order authorizing Southwest Power Pool Inc. to use certain energy resources to reduce the risk of potential blackouts, according to a July 21 statement from the department.
Electrical transmission poles and lines in Commerce, Calif., on Aug. 7, 2025. Mike Blake/ReutersThe order, issued on July 20 and signed by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, stated that Southwest Power Pool (SPP) had asked the DOE to temporarily permit certain resources to operate beyond their normal limits to help ensure grid reliability.
SPP, the regional grid operator serving 17 states in the central United States, also sought authorization to access and deploy backup generation resources at data centers and other large industrial and commercial customer sites.
On July 20, SPP issued multiple warnings about the possibility of rolling blackouts across its service area as high temperatures drove electricity demand to record levels. One alert said SPP had been forced to rely on some or all of its operating reserves after several power plants unexpectedly went offline.
According to the order, Wright determined that additional power dispatch was necessary and that backup generation resources might be needed to address the energy emergency created by the expected strain on the grid.
The determination was based on several factors, including an anticipated electricity shortage and the potential loss of power to homes and local businesses, which coul
