Winter Storm Fern has caused hundreds of thousands of power outages, though the electric grid has remained stable in part due to coal power plants boosting supply.

Linemen and out-of-town crews work almost around the clock to restore electricity after a winter storm slams the South. “Ice storms are a hurricane for us,” says co-op CEO.

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — Operators of the nation's largest power grid are warning residents in 13 states that electricity demand driven by the coming winter storm will be historically high, placing high stress on the grid and increasing the risk of outages across large parts of the country.

Grid operators deployed emergency measures to keep lights on as extreme weather drives heating demand and strains natural gas delivery systems nationwide.

The Trump administration issued an emergency order Sunday night allowing Texas' power grid operator to use backup generators from data centers and other facilities to prevent rotating outages over the next few days. The order, signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, comes amid an ongoing arctic blast sweeping through Texas.

(Refiles to fix headline to 'forecast record' demand) By Tim McLaughlin and Laila Kearney BOSTON/NEW YORK, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Transmission line congestion on the largest U.S. power grid is expected to soar on Thursday as the PJM Interconnection forecasts record winter power demand ahead of the weekend,

Rotunda Rumblings Winter power: Extreme cold is pushing the regional power grid into uncharted territory, with Ohio’s regional grid operator warning of record-breaking demand. In response, the U.S. Department of Energy gave PJM emergency authority to permit power plants to exceed pollution limits if needed.

The shortfall is driven by a slow replacement of retiring power plants and rising demand from electrification and data centers, PJM officials have said.

Gov. Greg Abbott joined state public safety and energy officials on Thursday morning for a briefing on grid reliability, travel, and disaster preparation ahead

This useful dashboard tracks the conditions of the Texas power grid.