NewsNational News

Actions

Large portions of US at risk of winter power blackouts

Power grids in New England, down to Texas face risks.
Winter Weather Texas Power Failures eletrical grid
Posted

A large portion of the United States could see blackouts this winter, among other energy emergencies, according to the North American Reliability Council.

U.S. energy authorities say extreme cold weather this winter could meet natural gas and coal supplies that are in short supply causing major issues for about a third of the country, Bloomberg reported.

Authorities say swaths of the country from New England down to Texas are at risk of supply shortages.

Texas is at the highest risk according to U.S. regulators. The central U.S. grid connects huge areas from the Great Lakes region down to Louisiana.

Regulators said in a Thursday report that the issues could stretch as far southeast as the Carolinas.

The seasonal assessment said electricity grids are “at risk of having insufficient energy supplies." The seasonal data is based on forecasts for peak demand.

Power plants in the U.S. have reportedly seen inadequate weatherization, with backup fuel oil supplies seeing shortages.