The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an emergency order to deploy backup generation resources in Texas in response to Winter Storm Fern. The order, which is based on Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, gives the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) authority to use backup generators at data centers and other key facilities to help prevent blackouts during the storm.
This action follows a letter from Energy Secretary Wright sent earlier in the week, urging grid operators to prepare for possible power shortages. DOE estimates that there are more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation available across the country.
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 at the start of his term, citing vulnerabilities left by previous policies. According to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), demand for electricity during winter is increasing rapidly while closures of coal and natural gas plants have made outages more likely. NERC’s 2025–2026 Winter Reliability Assessment warns that several regions in the continental United States face higher risks of blackouts during extreme weather events.
Data from DOE’s National Laboratories indicate that power outages cost Americans $44 billion each year. The current emergency order aims to reduce such losses by supporting reliable electricity supply in Texas during this period.
The emergency order will remain effective from January 24 through January 27, 2026.
NERC’s recent assessment highlights elevated risk for ERCOT’s service area this winter. Above-average peak demand or increased outages could require operational interventions and trigger Energy Emergency Alerts.
