JUST THE FACTS: Clean Energy Is Keeping the Lights On and Lowering Costs During Extreme Weather  

In states like Texas, wind and solar power were critical to strengthening the grid and keeping power on for many families during Winter Storm Fern

Washington, DC –  As back-to-back winter storms pummeled communities across the country in January, the facts about Donald Trump’s reckless energy policies have come into focus: fossil fuels have proved less reliable and more expensive as families struggle to keep the power on. Meanwhile, regions that had the lowest electricity prices during recent winter storms were also those least reliant on natural gas. 

As extreme weather becomes more frequent and costly, clean energy is proving its worth as more reliable, cheaper,  and less vulnerable to freezing temperatures and the elements. Unfortunately for rate-payers, Trump’s reckless energy policies have taken less expensive options — like solar and wind — off the grid as energy demand surges nationwide, causing heating and electricity costs to skyrocket and the grid to fail in more places. In North Carolina and Florida this week, customers have been asked to “use less power” to reduce demand on the grid as residents faced record cold temperatures. 

Clean energy helps keep the grid stable during extreme cold:  

FACT: Natural gas pipelines and equipment are prone to freezes and mechanical failure in extreme cold, leading to grid disruptions and power outages. When these systems fail, power plants are often forced offline at the very moment electricity demand spikes for heating.

FACT: When Texas experienced record-high peak energy demand during Winter Storm Heather in January 2024, a bolstered supply of 25% more wind energy and 300% more solar and storage capacity, compared to Winter Storm Uri in 2021, helped ensure significant improvements in grid stability and minimized outages.

FACT: During last week’s record cold temperatures, electricity prices in regions that relied more heavily on wind were significantly lower than those that were more reliant on natural gas. 

FACT: A PJM analysis found that offshore wind turbines are a more reliable source of power than gas turbines during winter months.

FACT: During Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, 86% of outages were caused by failures at coal and natural gas generation facilities. Comparatively, wind production remained high during the storm, providing key support to the electrical grid.