Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order requiring the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) to keep Unit 1 at the Stanton Energy Center in Orlando, Florida, operational to support grid reliability. The coal-fired unit had previously been scheduled for an extended cold shutdown in June 2026.
The order, effective from September 2 through November 30, 2026, is intended to ensure affordable, reliable, and secure energy availability in Florida. Secretary Wright stated that removing reliable generation from service undermines energy reliability and increases costs for Americans.
According to the Department of Energy’s Resource Adequacy Report, power outages could increase significantly by 2030 if dependable power sources are retired prematurely. The Trump Administration has reportedly worked to preserve more than 17 gigawatts of coal-powered electricity generation from shutdown nationwide in 2025.