How Natural Gas Delivered During Winter Storm Fern

Throughout Winter Storm Fern and the coldest January since 1988, natural gas provided power and heat to millions of Americans. While anti-fracking advocates continue to push for rapid transitions away from fossil fuels, the storm delivered a stark reminder that natural gas stays reliable when other energy sources can’t.

With every season, the natural gas industry only gets better at managing extreme weather.

The Grid Runs on Gas

Natural gas was consistently one of the most-used fuels for generating electricity before, during, and after the storm.

According to data from the Energy Information Administration, natural gas generation in the lower 48 states increased 14 percent from the previous week during Winter Storm Fern, filling in the gaps as solar, wind, and hydropower failed to deliver.

As Richard Meyer, Vice President of Energy Markets, Analysis & Standards at the American Gas Association pointed out:

“We are in extraordinary territory with the sustained natural gas demand following last weekend’s peak. Natural gas demand this week across the lower-48 reached the highest-ever 7-day average.”

During the height of the storm, natural gas provided 40 percent of the electricity for PJM, the largest grid operator in the United States which delivers power to over 67 million Americans in the mid-Atlantic. Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Mark Christie highlighted how much our electrical grid relies on natural-gas fired generation:

“The claim that VA or any PJM state can run a modern grid without dispatchable gen is reckless. Facts are stubborn things.”

Javier Blas, an energy and commodities columnist at Bloomberg shared a snapshot of the generation mix around the country on X. The common thread? Natural gas was ready.

Across the country, grid operators relied on natural gas generation to stop blackouts. When people lost power, it was because of heavy ice, damage to powerlines and other issues with local utilities, not the gas-fired generators that supply them.

Industry Preparedness Made the Difference

The natural gas industry continues to invest in equipment and improve procedures to deliver gas reliably and affordably year-round.

Todd Staples, President of the Texas Oil & Gas Association explained to the Midland Reporter-Telegram how the industry has been able to meet the growing demand, even in adverse conditions:

“Natural gas storage, all private efforts, played a key balancing role. Natural gas storage withdrawals increased materially…helping supplement flowing supply and meet elevated winter demand…This performance is a direct result of the industry’s ongoing planning, weatherization and around the clock response teams and asset deployment. Texas energy remains winter-ready and reliable for all consumers.”

According to Michael Webber, an energy professor at the University of Texas, winterization efforts in the state after Winter Storm Uri in 2021 helped to ensure the grid stayed online despite the cold.

The natural gas industry is continuously learning from past winter storms to improve weatherization, storage, and operational readiness.

The Pipeline Problem

Despite continued proof that natural gas remains essential to powering homes and businesses, policy decisions in blue states have driven up prices and increased the chance of fuel shortages. As White House Spokesperson Taylor Rogers noted:

“Blue States refusing to build more pipelines drives up the cost of natural gas and subsequently increases Americans’ electricity bills.”

Here are just a few examples from recent years:

• The Constitution Pipeline, which was approved by federal regulators in 2014 was stopped after New York denied a water permit. While some New York policymakers have reversed some of their opposition to a revamped effort to build the pipeline, state officials continue to challenge its revival.
• The Northeast Energy Direct, which would have brought gas from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, was blocked by Massachusetts in 2016.
• New York rejected the Northeast Supply Enhancement project in 2020.
• Access Northeast was never completed after facing opposition from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

As a result, in northeastern states where critical pipeline infrastructure projects have been blocked, the consequences were severe and predictable. New England natural gas spot prices temporarily rose over 1,400 percent to $172.5 per million Btu after the storm hit, according to EIA data.

Even as abundant natural gas supplies existed elsewhere, artificial constraints prevented more fuel from reaching consumers who desperately needed it.

The Bottom Line:

Dispatchable generation isn’t optional, and natural gas continues to power homes, businesses, and electricity generators when temperatures drop and demand soars. Natural gas was able to meet the record demand because of the natural gas industry’s investments in storage, weatherization, and pipeline capacity. Efforts to block critical infrastructure projects only serves to raise prices and jeopardize reliability for millions of Americans.