Washington has authorised Duke Energy to tap extra and backup generation during a late-summer heat spell, a move that directly affects Ghanaians living in North and South Carolina.
The United States Department of Energy (DOE), the federal agency that oversees energy policy, has issued an emergency order aimed at preventing power cuts in North and South Carolina during a spell of hot weather.
The order allows Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC — the main electricity utility serving the two states — to call on specified generating resources and to instruct them to run whenever this is needed to keep the grid stable.
What the order allows
Under the directive, Duke Energy may also work with transmission owners (the companies that own the high-voltage lines) to switch on backup generation. That backup power is meant to be a last resort, used either just before or during what the industry calls an Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 (EEA 3) — the stage at which a grid operator can no longer meet demand with its normal reserves and is at risk of cutting supply to customers.
The order was issued under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, the provision that gives the US Energy Secretary authority to act during an electricity emergency. It followed an application filed by Duke Energy.
According to the DOE, the order took effect on 18 September 2026 and runs through 21 September 2026 — a short, targeted window rather than a long-term arrangement.
Why Washington says it acted
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the measure would "help secure reliable electricity access for millions of American families and businesses across North and South Carolina" by making extra generation, including backup power, available when required.
He linked the risk to the time of year, noting that shorter daylight hours at the end of summer and in early autumn reduce output from solar power. He also pointed to warnings from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the body that sets and enforces reliability standards for the North American grid, about the strain that late-summer heat can place on power systems.
The Secretary criticised what he described as the early retirement of dependable power plants by previous administrations, saying the current government would use "every available tool" to avoid blackouts.
The DOE added that more than 35 gigawatts of backup generation sits unused across the country.
What it means for Ghanaians abroad
Charlotte, Raleigh and Columbia are home to sizeable Ghanaian communities, and many families in the Carolinas work in healthcare, transport and retail where a sustained outage would be costly. The order does not mean power cuts are certain; it is a precaution that gives the utility more options if demand spikes.
For readers at home, the episode is a reminder that even large, well-resourced grids face reserve margin pressure when temperatures climb — a challenge familiar to anyone who has followed Ghana's own load-shedding debates.
Reported first by US Department of Energy on 2026-09-19. This article was written for our readers based on that report. Follow the link for the original coverage.
