The Eastern United States is finally getting some relief from weeks of frigid temperatures as millions of Americans dig out from piles of snow and ice. But while the winter weather disrupted flights and left some without power, the damage was far less severe than anticipated – thanks to coal, oil, natural gas, and the Trump administration’s energy policies.
To understand how bad things could have been, one need only look back at Winter Storm Uri, which slammed Texas in 2021. 4.5 million people lost power due to the state’s overreliance on wind and solar, and more than 240 people lost their lives – most of them adults over 60.
Winter Storm Fern, which hammered a much larger area of the country from January 23 to January 27 this year, led to widespread school closures, dangerous roadways, and delayed travel plans. But despite the storm being more severe and impacting more people than Uri, only around a million people lost power. As of early February, about 85 deaths have been attributed to Fern nationwide – a tragedy, but far from the scale of Uri five years ago.
Those who turned up the heat as the deadly cold set in have coal – and President Trump – to thank.
According to the Department of Energy, it was Trump’s efforts to keep reliable coal plants online that allowed energy suppliers to keep up with demand as wind turbines froze and thick clouds blotted out the sun. Shortly after taking office, Trump took executive action to keep five existing coal plants online that were slated for decommissioning under the Biden administration – three of which were in the area affected by Fern.
“Beautiful, clean coal was the MVP of the huge cold snap we’re in right now,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. “I can say with some confidence, hundreds of American lives have been saved because of President Trump’s actions saving America’s coal industry.”
Before the storm hit, Wright swiftly issued emergency orders, empowering energy operators in the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Texas to do whatever it took to keep the lights on, even if it meant setting aside environmental permits and state laws. “As Winter Storm Fern brings extreme cold and dangerous conditions across the country, maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power is non-negotiable,” Wright stated during the announcement.
PJM Interconnection, the largest regional transmission organization in the country, supplying power to some 65 million Americans across 13 states, announced that coal accounted for 20 percent of electricity generation for its customers during the storm. According to the Energy Information Administration, coal power generation jumped 31 percent during the storm, while wind, solar, and hydropower declined.
Traditional thermal power plants, like those fueled by coal and natural gas, drive turbines that generate kinetic energy reserves. When grid frequency falters, these machines keep turning, giving backup systems time to respond. Wind and solar offer no such momentum, so a grid dominated by renewables is more vulnerable to sudden shocks.
Overall, at peak power generation during the storm, natural gas supplied 43 percent of electricity to the affected regions. Coal supplied 24 percent, nuclear 15 percent, and oil four percent. Wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal sources accounted for just 14 percent of all generation.
Unsurprisingly, in its November report, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation described coal and gas energy systems as “interconnected” and “critical.” The report noted that coal remains important for meeting energy demand during harsh winter storms.
While this news has been largely ignored by the corporate media, it is nonetheless a ringing endorsement of President Trump’s energy agenda – and a stinging rebuke of the Biden administration’s “green” energy fantasies. If Trump had not reversed most of Biden’s energy policies and ended his regulatory war on the coal industry, it is very likely that dozens or even hundreds more Americans would be dead today, and millions would be without power.
For evidence of this, just look to California, which has been a disastrous experiment in the perils of Democrats’ green energy policies. The number of people impacted by power outages in the Golden State soared by 145 percent in 2025 over 2024, with nearly 600,000 households losing power. Rolling blackouts remain a serious threat.
Last May, state energy officials, including the California Energy Commission, assured the public that the grid was now more reliable. “Thanks to rapid clean energy deployment, expansion of battery storage, and strategic efforts to build up emergency reserves, California heads into summer with more resources to meet electricity demand, including the extreme heat conditions experienced in recent years,” the statement said.
Yet despite these assurances, blackouts persisted, spanning both summer and winter months.
The Biden administration seemed determined to force the entire country to repeat California’s failed experiment. But Trump’s return to the White House has meant more reliable, more abundant, and cheaper energy for all – especially during severe weather events. Policymakers on both sides of the aisle should not forget that lesson as “green” energy sources come up short time and again when it matters most.
Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.
