The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order Sunday directing Texas data centers and large energy consumers to fire up backup generators as Winter Storm Fern threatens the state’s power grid.
The order gives ERCOT authority to tap into 35 gigawatts of untapped backup power across the country, potentially preventing the blackouts that devastated Texas during previous winter storms.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Trump administration was “committed to unleashing all available power generation needed to keep Americans safe during Winter Storm Fern.” The emergency directive remains in effect through Tuesday.
Under the Federal Power Act, ERCOT can require major facilities to switch to backup generation only after exhausting all grid resources or if the system reaches emergency level three. Critical infrastructure, including hospitals, 911 centers, water treatment plants, and defense facilities are exempt from the requirement.
The precautionary measure comes as more than 83,000 Texans lost power Sunday afternoon, mostly in eastern regions. ERCOT officials attributed these outages to local issues rather than grid failures.
The state’s power grid dashboard showed normal operating conditions Sunday with sufficient reserves to meet current demand. It remains unclear whether backup generators will actually be needed during this arctic blast.
ERCOT must notify federal officials within 24 hours if it activates the emergency protocol. The order allows temporary waivers of environmental regulations while requiring agencies to minimize adverse environmental impacts “to the maximum extent practicable,” per the Federal Power Act.
Texas power infrastructure has faced intense scrutiny since the catastrophic 2021 Winter Storm Uri that left millions without electricity and water for days. That disaster prompted calls for grid winterization and backup power requirements.
