Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order directing the Orlando Utilities Commission to keep Unit 1 at the Stanton Energy Center, a coal-fired power plant in Orlando, Florida, available for operation during the summer of 2026. The order is effective from June 4, 2026, through September 1, 2026, and prevents the unit's planned early extended shutdown that was scheduled to begin in June 2026.
Secretary Wright stated that removing reliable generation resources compromises energy reliability and increases costs, emphasizing the need to ensure Floridians have access to affordable, secure energy during peak summer demand periods. The Department of Energy credited President Trump's leadership with reversing premature retirements of coal plants nationwide, noting that over 17 gigawatts of coal-powered electricity generation were saved from going offline in 2025.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment highlights concerns specific to the Florida Peninsula subregion, where projections for resource and transmission growth may not keep pace with rising demand from data centers and other large loads. The assessment also notes that as renewable energy penetration increases, quick-start generation units will be increasingly necessary to meet ramping demand.