The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced plans to take emergency measures to prevent blackouts as winter storm Fern approaches. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright sent a letter to grid operators, urging them to stay in contact with the DOE and be ready to deploy backup generation resources from data centers and other major facilities if needed.
According to the DOE, there are more than 35 gigawatts (GW) of unused backup generation available across the country. These resources could help reduce blackouts and lower costs for millions of Americans during severe winter weather.
“The Trump administration will not stand by and allow the previous administration’s reckless energy subtraction policies and bureaucratic red tape put American lives at risk,” said Secretary Wright. “We have identified more than 35 GW of unused backup generation that exists across the country and are taking action to ensure that if the nation needs it, the generation will be made available. Rest assured, President Trump and the Energy Department remain committed to doing everything in our power to mitigate blackouts and lower energy costs for the American people.”
President Trump declared a national energy emergency on his first day in office, citing concerns over increased vulnerability of the electric grid following changes under the prior administration. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has reported that winter electricity demand is rising quickly, while closures of coal and natural gas plants have left families at greater risk for outages. NERC’s Winter Reliability Assessment for 2025–2026 warns that much of the continental United States faces higher risks of blackouts during extreme weather.
The DOE notes that power outages cost Americans $44 billion each year based on findings from its National Laboratories. The draft order from Secretary Wright aims to address these outages during winter months by using backup generation as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert Level 3.
The proposed order was developed under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. It would apply to data centers and large industrial or commercial sites—including auxiliary, standby, directly connected, and battery storage systems—regardless of whether they are synchronized with the main grid. Backup resources would only be used after all demand response options have been exhausted.
