When Winter Storm Fern slammed much of the country last month, it did more than knock out power — it exposed the dangerous consequences of Washington’s hyper-partisan green energy mandates.
Over a million people were left without power at the storm’s peak, causing food spoilage, school shutdowns, freezing homes, and hospitals precariously relying on backup generators. Over a million suffered in the dark long after the storm passed, facing life-threatening conditions, and more than 115 have died. Quite frankly, it was largely preventable had radical energy activism not endangered this nation.
And now, after Winter Storm Hernando this week hammered parts of the country with heavy snow, dangerous winds, and renewed power outages, the public is being reminded in real time that grid reliability is not an abstract policy debate. Rather, it is a matter of safety and survival.
WINTER STORM BRINGS BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND DUMPS SNOW ON NEW YORK CITY
President Donald Trump was right to issue a Day One declaration of a national energy emergency. It’s not a talking point; it’s a major problem. Years of policies pushing out reliable coal and natural gas plants, while betting heavily on insufficient and less reliable wind and solar infrastructure, have unnecessarily endangered people’s lives. That urgency was reinforced this week when Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of War, working with the Department of Energy, to secure reliable, long-term power for military installations and other mission-critical infrastructure. This same reliability standard should guide how we power our homes, our businesses, and the electric grid the public relies on every single day.
Washington should consider following Missouri’s lead and embracing an all-of-the-above energy strategy that lets markets, not ideology, keep the United States powered. Because clearly, handcuffing ourselves to a fragile power grid so career politicians can virtue signal their eco-activism hasn’t worked out for everyday people.
Weak energy grids have immediate and obvious consequences for individuals: no heat, no water, and no internet connectivity, as well as medical and first responder services that are impeded and stretched thin. At the national level, widespread blackouts become a security risk, leaving critical infrastructure and military readiness vulnerable. Economically, power outages cost people tens of billions of dollars every year as they shut down manufacturing and small businesses, interrupt transportation systems and supply chains, destroy goods and infrastructure, and drive up consumer prices. And major storms make it worse. Recent executive action prioritizing reliable power for defense installations reinforces a basic reality: national security depends on energy that works all the time, not just some of the time.
The DOE acted swiftly during Fern, issuing emergency orders to cancel some environmental limits, thus averting worse blackouts and saving lives by allowing plants to run at full capacity and deploying backup diesel generators across the Mid-Atlantic, Carolinas, New England, and even Texas. But the fact that this had to be done at all highlights the damage inflicted by prior policies that took reliable coal and natural gas plants offline too soon without ensuring dependable alternatives.
Across the state of Missouri, we weathered the storm far better than many. Our diversified energy grid held strong, including the state’s nuclear plant at Callaway, reliable baseload power, abundant natural gas, and affordable coal at the Sioux and the Labadie energy centers, which generate one gigawatt and 2.3 gigawatts, respectively. This balanced approach keeps our electricity costs roughly 30% below the national average, delivering the kind of affordability and dependability that drives manufacturing growth, draws new investment, and stimulates a thriving economy for families living the American dream. It also allows us the freedom to make utility-driven investments and support local programs that have the potential to expand reliable energy options for consumers. Reliability doesn’t prohibit innovation — it facilitates it.
This is a stark contrast to states where heavy-handed green-energy mandates prioritize glamorized renewables over the functionally reliable. Those policies lead to higher bills, strained supplies, and greater vulnerability during weather extremes, and leave death and destruction in their wake.
The fix isn’t more Washington overreach or better ideological persuasion. It’s trusting markets and pursuing a common-sense strategy that takes advantage of all the energy options available to us. Congressional representatives who value people’s life, liberty, and prosperity should be backing bills to cut red tape on energy infrastructure permits, investing in reliable generation and grid updates, and unleashing U.S. energy dominance under Trump. The administration’s recent actions to preserve America’s coal generation fleet reflect that shift toward restoring reliable baseload power after years of policies that weakened grid stability.
WINTER STORMS COLLIDE WITH SHUTDOWN FIGHT, PUTTING PRESSURE ON FEMA
Winter Storm Fern wasn’t just bad weather; it was a wake-up call. Missouri’s energy model works, and there’s no reason to gamble on our future or subject hardworking people to unnecessary hardship when we already have the answer to the problem.
Let’s apply that common-sense approach nationwide: markets, not mandates, will keep Americans’ lights on and this country powered, secure, and strong, no matter which way the winds blow.
Rep. Bob Onder represents Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District in the House of Representatives. He is a physician and former small business owner and serves on House committees addressing energy, healthcare, and regulatory policy.