The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an emergency order authorizing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to use backup generation resources at data centers and other key facilities during Winter Storm Fern. The action, made under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, is intended to help prevent blackouts as extreme weather impacts Texas.
This move follows a letter from Energy Secretary Wright sent earlier in the week, urging grid operators to be ready to activate backup generation if necessary. DOE estimates that over 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation are available nationwide for such emergencies.
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 after concerns about grid vulnerability due to previous policies affecting reliable energy sources like coal and natural gas plants. According to a recent North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) report, winter electricity demand is rising rapidly while closures of certain power plants increase blackout risks.
NERC’s 2025–2026 Winter Reliability Assessment warns that several regions in the continental United States face elevated risks of outages during severe weather events. Specifically for Texas, NERC found that above-normal winter peak demand and outages could require operational mitigations and possibly trigger Energy Emergency Alerts.
Data from DOE’s National Laboratories indicates that annual power outages cost Americans $44 billion. The emergency order aims both to reduce these costs for Texans and support access to reliable electricity amid harsh conditions.
The order remains effective from January 24 through January 27, 2026.
