On February 6th, the US Energy Secretary held a press conference to discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to reverse the previous government’s energy reduction policies and rebuild America’s energy security. The Secretary highlighted the importance of maintaining coal-fired power plants during winter storms to ensure a stable power supply.
The Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, emphasized that President Trump declared a national energy emergency on his first day in office. This led to swift actions by the Energy Department to overturn the previous government’s energy reduction policies, which had posed threats to the reliability and affordability of the US power grid. The information shared by Secretary Wright was published on the US Department of Energy website on the same day.
According to Secretary Wright, the previous administration’s plans to force the closure of coal and natural gas power plants would have increased power outages in the US by 100 times by 2030. The Trump administration prioritized reversing these energy reduction policies, which included retaining coal-fired power plants, suspending regulations that limit reliable power output, and activating backup power resources to mitigate the risk of widespread blackouts during extreme cold weather.
Secretary Wright stated, “We will not allow reckless energy reduction policies and bureaucratic procedures to put American lives at risk.”
“The orders issued by the Trump administration will mitigate power outages, assist in restoring affordable and reliable electricity, allowing American families to thrive and the manufacturing industry to flourish once again.”
Secretary Wright compared the winter storms “Fern” in late January and the 2021 winter storm “Uri”.
In late January of this year, Winter Storm Fern swept through parts of the southern and eastern United States, impacting states such as Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Florida, New England, Pennsylvania, and New York, bringing widespread snow, ice, and frigid temperatures that disrupted daily life and transportation for many.
During the storm, over one million households experienced power outages, significantly fewer than the 4.5 million during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, as a result of the Department of Energy’s swift actions, issuing 15 orders and 5 extensions to boost power supply, enhance grid resilience, and save lives.
Prior to Storm Fern’s arrival, the Trump administration activated five reliable coal-fired power plants to meet the power demand during peak periods. Three of these plants were located in the storm-affected areas and played a crucial role in providing power throughout the storm. For instance, the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in Michigan operated at over 650 megawatts per day from January 21 to February 1.
Secretary Wright also mentioned that coal-fired power plants across the US are withdrawing their closure plans.
During the storm’s peak power demand periods, fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) provided 71% of the power to affected areas; fossil fuels and nuclear power combined accounted for 86% of the power generation, while solar energy contributed only 2% and wind power provided 8%.
In the New England region where state governments have been shutting down coal-fired power plants and hindering natural gas infrastructure development, fossil fuels still supported 67% of power during peak demand, and together with nuclear power, accounted for 84% of the power supply.
Data also indicated that during the most severe phase of the storm, solar energy reached only about 11% of its rated capacity, while wind energy operated at around 23% of its capacity.
Secretary Wright highlighted, “Solar energy is not a reliable source of power round the clock.”
However, John Hensley, the Senior Vice President of the American Clean Power Association, stated that in Texas, wind, solar, and storage collectively provided around 25% of the power to 27 million grid users, a significant increase from 2021, and a key factor in averting many of the large-scale power outages during the recent storm event.