According to an official announcement, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has issued an emergency order authorizing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to dispatch backup power generation resources from data centers and other large facilities. This measure aims to help mitigate potential power outages during the severe winter storm.

The US Department of Energy estimates that more than 35 gigawatts of idle backup generation capacity remains available for dispatch across the United States.

This order will assist the Electric Reliability Council of Texas in responding to the extreme low temperatures and storm damage affecting the entire state, while also reducing related costs for American citizens.

The order will be effective from January 24th through January 27th.