Building A More Reliable And Affordable Electricity Supply For Americans In The Mid-Atlantic
Energy.gov
January 16, 2026
minute read time
Building A More Reliable And Affordable Electricity Supply For Americans In The Mid-Atlantic
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING ENERGY IN THE MID-ATLANTIC MORE AFFORDABLE AND RELIABLE
On day one, President Trump declared a national energy emergency after the Biden administration’s energy subtraction agenda left behind a grid increasingly vulnerable to blackouts and higher than ever electricity prices.The Mid-Atlantic region, whose regional transmission organization is PJM Interconnection, made the mistake of embracing this energy subtraction agenda.After forcing the shutdown of reliable power plants across the rust belt, the region has experienced some of the highest electricity price hikes and grid reliability issues in the nation.Today, January 15, 2026, the National Energy Dominance Council announced an agreement with governors across the Mid-Atlantic region to urge PJM to make electricity more affordable for residential customers and strengthen grid reliability by building more than $15 billion of reliable baseload power generation.The agreement urges PJM to:Accelerate development of reliable power generation by providing 15-year revenue certainty for new power plants.Protect ratepayers by limiting the amount existing power plants can be paid in the PJM capacity market.Require data centers to pay for the new generation built on their behalf – whether they show up and use the power or not.Take other steps to ensure more affordable, reliable and secure electricity for the American people.The measures we urge PJM to take are temporary and needed to remedy the energy subtraction failures of the past, prevent more price increases, and decrease the risk of blackouts.This deal will help deliver more power, more jobs, more economic growth, and without the hard-working people of the Mid-Atlantic paying a dime!
HIGH ELECTRICITY PRICES ARE A CHOICE
High electricity prices are a choice. Regions that aligned themselves with the Biden administration’s energy subtraction agenda and shut down reliable baseload power are paying the price.PJM forced nearly 17 gigawatts of reliable baseload power generation offline during the Biden years.Capacity costs for PJM have increased by over seven-fold over just three annual auctions, all while PJM procured nearly 10% less generation capacity.We are addressing serious market failures in PJM:PJM’s market failures are the result of energy subtraction policies that forced the shutdown of power plants in PJM that were needed for grid resource adequacy, reliability and stability.Their misguided policies favored intermittent energy resources (wind, solar) over reliable baseload generation resources (coal, natural gas, nuclear).Reliance on variable generation resources can leave the grid vulnerable when the wind does not blow and sun does not shine.These recommended temporary changes are needed to ensure American businesses across some of the most manufacturing intensive regions of the United States have the power they need, while also ensuring affordable electricity for residents.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO REVITALIZING AMERICA’S MANUFACTURING BASE AND MAKING ENERGY MORE AFFORDABLE FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES
In the coming years, America’s reindustrialization and the AI race will require a significantly larger supply of around-the-clock, reliable, and uninterrupted power.The United States cannot afford to continue down the unstable and dangerous path of energy subtraction previous leaders pursued, forcing the closure of baseload power sources like coal and natural gas.President Trump’s administration is committed to advancing a strategy of energy addition, and supporting all forms of energy that are affordable, reliable, and secure.If we are going to keep the lights on, win the AI race, and keep electricity prices from skyrocketing, the United States must unleash American energy.
