DOE recaps grid reliability during winter storm

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) — As the nation works to thaw from last month’s winter storm, The Department of Energy is recapping their performance under pressure; providing an update on the energy grid and what they say worked to keep the lights on.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright says they utilized a dual approach to keeping the power on, implementing emergency measures before, during, and after the snow to make sure recovery was as smooth as possible.

But Wright says it was the prep work that really made the difference, with the Department walking back Biden-era environmental policies prioritizing wind and solar energy the Trump Administration says threatened the reliability of the grid.

“Wind produced 40% less electricity when we needed it most,” said Sec. Wright. “…They’re just not there when they’re needed.”

James Danly, Deputy Secretary of Energy, added, “you know, you say we’re going back to policies and indeed, some of them are returning to good commonsense policies from before, but some are completely new.”

Instead, Wright says it was hydrocarbons like oil, natural gas, and coal that pulled through during the storm, with nuclear energy a firm runner up.

However, not everyone sees this as a win. Last week, Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich (NM) hosted a roundtable discussing how he believes Trump Administration policies have raised utility costs on working families, claiming similar decisions to what the DOE was just touting for keeping the grid alive have upped electricity prices 13% in the past year.

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