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Wright to Perino: Emergency Orders Keeping 17 Gigawatts of Coal Online Saved Lives in the Cold Snap

January 29, 2026 · U.S. Department of Energy · 0:04:33

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Energy Department issued emergency orders allowing coal plants to stay online to keep up with electricity demand during the storm and cold, when demand often hits the annual peak, according to Wright in an interview with Dana Perino. He said coal and President Trump’s effort to keep coal plants open likely saved hundreds of American lives in the previous few days, contrasting a smaller cold front under the Biden administration in which he said more than 200 lives were lost when power and heating failed, according to Wright.

Wright said the administration has saved 17 gigawatts of coal plants to keep them open, and that natural gas, coal, and nuclear — in that order — have been the workhorses keeping the lights on at peak demand, together supplying about 85% of power including nuclear, according to the interview.

On regional grids, Wright said ice brought down local distribution lines in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee, which were being re-established, and that in New England at peak demand less than 3% of electricity came from wind, solar, and batteries combined — less than from burning wood and trash — while oil was the number one source because of a shortage of pipeline capacity for cheaper, cleaner natural gas, according to Wright. He said the Constitution Pipeline has to get built and blamed New York’s governor for standing in its way, saying it would lower costs, protect lives, and grow opportunity in New England, according to the interview.

Why it matters

The interview attaches specific figures — 17 gigawatts of coal kept online, under 3% wind-solar-battery share at New England’s peak — to the administration’s keep-it-open grid policy.

Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, “Secretary Wright Joins Fox News’ Dana Perino - January 29, 2026”, 2026-01-29 (official upload, embedded above; published 2026-01-29). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.