ExxonMobil Joliet refinery shuts down after total power outage

ExxonMobil’s Joliet refinery in Illinois experienced a “total power outage” on Monday, forcing the shutdown of the 275,000-barrel-a-day facility. An ExxonMobil spokesperson confirmed the power failure and the subsequent refinery shutdown.

The outage threatens the supply of gasoline and diesel across the Midwest. Industry analysts noted that U.S. refining capacity is currently under high pressure, with national utilization near 98% and Midwest refiners operating above 100% of reported operable capacity, leaving little margin for unexpected failures.

While power was restored later that evening, the company continued to assess refinery units following the incident. A similar outage in July 2024 led the Environmental Protection Agency to issue an emergency fuel waiver for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin to mitigate supply shortages.