2026.06.30 | DOE 202(c) Coal Orders & The HR 9340 Cost Causation Mandate

Severe physical infrastructure constraints are forcing the Department of Energy to deploy Section 202(c) emergency orders to keep retiring coal plants online just to manage summer resource adequacy. This briefing unpacks the failure of FERC Order 2023 fast-track pathways to accelerate interconnection queues, Texas's unprecedented use of the Texas Energy Fund (TEF) to finance dispatchable gas, and the House advancement of HR 9340 to force hyperscale data centers to pay upfront for incremental grid upgrades. Utility planners and regulatory analysts must actively recalibrate their load forecasting and rate-case strategies to navigate exhausted system headroom and the shifting mechanics of hyperscale cost allocation. Current Events: The Electric Utility Today provides clinical, data-driven intelligence for professionals navigating the operational limits of the bulk power system.