DOE Sets Emergency Orders for New England and Texas Grids

HOUSTON, TX (DTN) — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued on Monday (1/26) two emergency to mitigate blackouts in New England and Texas for Winter Storm Fern, which hit during the weekend.

The orders authorize ISO New England and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to run specified resources located within the ISO-NE and ERCOT regions, regardless of limits established by environmental permits or state law, according to a DOE statement released today.

The orders will help ISO-NE and ERCOT with the extreme temperatures and storm impacts across the Northeast and Texas and reduce costs for Americans during the winter storm, the DOE stated.

This is the second emergency order issued to ERCOT during Winter Storm Fern following an order on Sunday (1/25) to leverage backup generation at data centers and other industrial sites. 

“As Winter Storm Fern brings extreme cold and dangerous conditions across the country, maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power is non-negotiable,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. 

Power outages cost the American people $44 billion per year, according to the DOE.