The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an emergency order to allow the deployment of backup generation resources in Texas as Winter Storm Fern threatens the state’s power grid. The order, authorized under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, enables the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to use backup generators at data centers and other major facilities to prevent blackouts.
This action follows a letter from Energy Secretary Wright sent earlier to grid operators, urging them to be ready to use backup generation if necessary. DOE estimates that over 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation capacity is available nationwide.
Energy Secretary Wright stated, “The Trump administration is committed to unleashing all available power generation needed to keep Americans safe during Winter Storm Fern. Unfortunately, the last administration had the nation on track to lose significant amounts of baseload power, but we are doing everything in our power to reverse those reckless decisions. The Trump administration will continue taking action to ensure that the 35 GW of untapped backup generation that exists across the country can be deployed as needed during Winter Storm Fern and in the future.”
President Trump declared a national energy emergency on his first day in office, citing concerns about grid vulnerability following policy changes by previous administrations. According to recent assessments by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), winter electricity demand is increasing rapidly while closures of coal and natural gas plants have left families more exposed to outages.
The NERC’s 2025–2026 Winter Reliability Assessment warns that many regions in the continental United States face higher risks of blackouts during severe weather events due to these factors.
Power outages cost Americans $44 billion annually based on data from DOE’s National Laboratories. The emergency order aims both to reduce outage risk in Texas and demonstrate policies focused on reliable electricity supply.
The order remains effective from January 24 through January 27, 2026.
NERC’s assessment highlights that ERCOT is at elevated risk this winter; above-normal peak demand or high outage rates could require further operational interventions or energy emergency alerts.
