U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Jan. 22 sent a letter to reliability coordinators and balancing authorities saying the department is ready to use its authority under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to dispatch backup generation from large customers if needed ahead of a major winter storm over the following days.

The Department of Energy estimates about 35 GW of backup generation are available around the country, and using them during emergency conditions could mitigate blackouts and cut costs during the winter storm expected to impact much of the Eastern Interconnection.

“The Trump administration will not stand by and allow the previous administration’s reckless energy subtraction policies and bureaucratic red tape put American lives at risk,” Wright said. “We have identified more than 35 GW of unused backup generation that exists across the country and are taking action to ensure that if the nation needs it, the generation will be made available. Rest assured, President Trump and the Energy Department remain committed to doing everything in our power to mitigate blackouts and lower energy costs for the American people.”

The National Weather Service said a major storm was moving across the country, from the southern Great Plains and lower Mississippi Valley on Jan. 23 and then toward the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and New England over the weekend. Heavy snowfall is expected across the northern part of the system, with mixed precipitation across the South.

Wright and others at DOE have talked about using backup generation in public comments, but the letter offers new details on the idea — such as the use of FPA Section 202(c), which the department has used to stop central-station generators from retiring over the past year.

“Across the country there are gigawatts of readily available backup generation that have remained largely untapped until now,” Wright said in the letter. “This backup generation can and should be used to save American lives and avoid billions of dollars in economic devastation, as energy subtraction policies of the previous administration cause acute scarcity events.”

Wright said he has directed the department to prepare 202(c) orders, which would ensure backup generation that would otherwise be idle is available during emergency conditions.

If RCs or BAs contact DOE during the storm, even with a phone call, and say that they are facing an emergency that warrants a 202(c) order, Wright wrote that he would review the facts and issue one as needed. The backup generation would run “as a last resort before” rolling blackouts.

“There are certain facilities whose operations are of such criticality that it would be inappropriate to require their backup generation to run early in an emergency (like military installations and hospitals),” Wright wrote. “I expect the reliability coordinators and balancing authorities to work closely with the facilities within their service territories to deliberately prioritize the dispatch order of backup generation to achieve the greatest benefit to the bulk power system while balancing mission-essential functions.”

Wright said he has directed DOE staff to coordinate with RCs or BAs ahead of the storm.