The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has made preparations to prevent blackouts during the winter storm, seeking to keep the energy grid stable.
In a letter sent to grid operators, the DOE urged consistent communication to be made and for preparations to be taken in order to make backup generation resources available. “Across the country there are gigawatts of readily available backup generation that have remained largely untapped until now. This backup generation can and should be used to save American lives and avoid billions of dollars in economic devastation, as energy subtraction policies of the previous administration cause acute scarcity events.”
“In order to ensure that the backup generation is available should it be required, I have directed my staff to coordinate with the Reliability Coordinators and Balancing Authorities ahead of this weekend’s winter storms,” the letter noted.
“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,” Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. “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 in January 2025, stating that the United States needs a “reliable, diversified, and affordable supply of energy to drive our Nation’s manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries, and to sustain the basics of modern life and military preparedness.”
