This year we stopped energy subtraction policies. Using my authorities at DOE, we stopped the closure of 17 gigawatts of coal power plants that were slated to prematurely retire. Winter storm [FERN] that hit 22 states across the eastern half of our country in late January would have caused significant blackouts and likely led to hundreds of American deaths if we had not kept those 17 gigawatts of coal power on the grid. The grid in many regions was pushed to the edge. FERN was a greater challenge to heating and electricity generation than URI was. (07:44–08:07)
CLAIM
Asserts that keeping 17 gigawatts of coal power prevented significant blackouts and potential deaths during Winter Storm FERN.
This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.
