A report promoted by the conservative-leaning nonprofit Power the Future said natural gas, coal and nuclear plants generated the bulk of U.S. electricity during Winter Storm Fern, while wind and solar output fell during the storm’s coldest, darkest hours. The findings circulated amid the Trump administration’s renewed pushback on wind power, including a December 2025 move to suspend five offshore wind projects on the East Coast.
Winter Storm Fern brought heavy snow and ice across large parts of the United States in late January 2026, triggering widespread power outages and prompting emergency actions aimed at keeping the electric system stable.
An analysis released by the nonprofit Power the Future and highlighted by The Daily Wire said it reviewed roughly 500,000 federal electricity records and found that natural gas, coal and nuclear power provided about 80% of U.S. electricity during the storm’s most disruptive days. The report said wind provided only single-digit shares and that solar output was limited during the coldest and darkest hours.
In its report, Power the Future argued that electricity policy should prioritize reliability and affordability, writing: “Electricity must be affordable. It must be reliable. And before we talk about all-of-the-above, it, above all, must be there when people need it.” The report added that “Winter Storm Fern made clear that energy policy rooted in reality beats climate ideology every time.”
The storm unfolded as President Donald Trump and senior officials continued criticizing wind energy. The Daily Wire reported that Trump criticized wind power in remarks tied to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In late December 2025, the Trump administration suspended leases for five offshore wind projects on the East Coast, citing national security concerns related to radar interference. The move drew criticism from state officials and renewable-energy advocates, and news coverage described it as part of a broader administration effort to slow offshore wind development.
The Daily Wire also pointed to outside commentary suggesting renewable output sank sharply during the coldest periods, including a social media post by investor John Arnold that depicted conventional generation meeting most demand during severe cold.
Power the Future has separately argued that states moving fastest away from fossil fuels have faced rising power prices. The Daily Wire cited Power the Future datapoints released in August indicating that California saw fossil generation fall by about 57 million megawatt-hours per year since 2010 while electricity prices rose by 8.3 cents per kilowatt-hour; Massachusetts saw a 74% decline in fossil use with prices up 6.4 cents per kilowatt-hour; and New York’s Indian Point nuclear closure contributed to higher downstate prices and increased reliance on imports. The same Power the Future material cited by The Daily Wire said New York customers pay roughly 50% to 60% more than the national average and tied the state’s targets to a law requiring 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Energy issued emergency orders during the storm period authorizing grid operators to use specified generating resources to reduce blackout risks in regions including Texas and the Mid-Atlantic.
Power the Future said the storm underscored the need for “dispatchable” generation that can run on demand during extreme weather, while critics of the group’s conclusions have argued that grid performance during winter storms depends on a broader mix of factors, including transmission constraints, fuel supply, winterization and storm damage to distribution lines.
