FERC Review of Winter Storm Fern: 172 Bcf a Day of Gas Demand, 68 GW of Unplanned Outages and No Rolling Blackouts
Winter Storm Fern swept across large parts of the United States in late January 2026, bringing ice, snow and extreme cold from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. The storm caused more than 1 million customer power outages, mainly from ice accumulation, falling trees and damage to local distribution lines, according to post-event assessments. Grid operators avoided rolling blackouts and manual load shedding on the bulk power system. US natural gas demand peaked at 172 billion cubic feet per day on January 24, one of the highest levels ever recorded, according to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff presentation on winter 2026 events.
FERC staff reported that the system experienced 68,169 megawatts of unplanned generation outages during the storm, yet operators were able to keep supply and demand in balance without ordering rotating outages. The outcome contrasts with Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, when ERCOT ordered massive load shedding after gas production and power plants failed in the cold, leaving millions of Texans without power for days. Most of the customer outages during Fern were caused by damage to local distribution networks rather than shortages of generation.
The Natural Gas Council report argued that the gas system performed well under extreme conditions. Climate science suggests that while average winter temperatures are rising, cold outbreaks still occur. Gas prices spiked during the storm as demand surged and some production was curtailed. The FERC presentation came in September, as utilities, gas pipelines and grid operators prepare for the 2026 to 2027 winter. Forecasters have also flagged a strengthening El Niño heading into the 2026 to 2027 winter.
Each major winter event since 2011 has produced a federal review with recommendations, ranging from better communication between gas and electric operators to mandatory freeze protection. The event also feeds into debates about who pays for winter resilience. Regulators will apply the lessons from Fern in their winter reliability assessments.