The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued two emergency orders to deploy backup generation resources in the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas after Winter Storm Fern led to concerns about possible blackouts. The orders, made under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, give authorization to PJM Interconnection, LLC (PJM), Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, and Duke Energy Progress to use backup generation at data centers and other key facilities.
This action follows a letter from Secretary Wright sent earlier in the week urging grid operators to prepare for potential blackouts due to the storm. DOE estimates that more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation are available nationwide. By allowing PJM and Duke Energy to tap into these resources, the department aims to help manage extreme temperatures and storm-related damage while reducing costs for consumers in affected regions.
These are not the first emergency orders related to Winter Storm Fern; previous directives allowed certain power resources within PJM and Duke’s service areas to operate beyond environmental or state restrictions.
U.S. 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 over what he called an “energy subtraction agenda” by his predecessor’s administration. According to a recent assessment by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), winter electricity demand is rising quickly while early closures of coal and natural gas plants have increased risks for families facing outages. NERC’s 2025–2026 Winter Reliability Assessment notes that parts of the United States face higher blackout risks during severe weather events.
Power outages cost Americans $44 billion each year based on research from DOE’s National Laboratories. The new emergency orders are intended both to reduce outages in impacted states and highlight current federal policies focused on reliable electricity supply.
The order for PJM is effective from January 26 through January 31, 2026; for Duke Energy, it runs from January 26 through January 30, 2026.
NERC forecasts indicate that PJM will see one of the largest increases in peak demand this winter among U.S. regions. Above-normal peak usage combined with high outage rates could require additional operating measures or energy emergency alerts according to NERC projections.
Orders like these follow President Trump’s executive order declaring a national energy emergency and aim at ensuring enough electric generation is available when demand spikes or outages threaten reliability.
