US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to enhance the reliability and security of the country’s electric grid amid rising electricity demand.
The surge in demand is driven by rapid technological advancements, which include the expansion of AI data centres and increased domestic manufacturing.
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The swift advancements, combined with ongoing supply difficulties, have placed considerable pressure on the country’s energy grid.
The order aims to ensure the reliability and security of the US electric grid by utilising all available power generation resources, including secure and redundant fuel supplies.
It mandates the Secretary of Energy to streamline processes for issuing orders under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act during periods of potential grid failure.
This includes expediting the review and approval of applications by electric generation resources seeking to operate at maximum capacity.
The Secretary of Energy has been tasked with developing a uniform methodology for analysing reserve margins across regions regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission within 30 days.
This methodology will assess grid conditions and operating scenarios based on historical events to inform current and future energy strategies.
The methodology, along with its findings, will be published on the Department of Energy’s website within 90 days, along with any analysis it produces.
A further process will assess the methodology and identify critical generation resources within regions to ensure system reliability.
The protocol will include mechanisms to retain critical generation resources and prevent resources with more than 50MW of capacity from leaving the bulk-power system or converting fuel sources if the move reduces generating capacity.
The new order aligns with efforts to tackle the declaration under Executive Order 14156, issued on January 20, 2025, which officially declared a National Energy Emergency.
Trump also announced new tariffs on electrical components, battery storage, and other equipment from China, Southeast Asia, and Europe earlier this week, which are expected to create major problems for the US renewable energy industry.
