WASHINGTON (January 29, 2026) – Winter Storm Fern brought heavy snow and damaging ice from the Southwest through the Mid-Atlantic as forecasted. The electric power industry mobilized quickly ahead of the storm, with more than 65,000 workers from at least 44 states ready to begin damage assessments and restorations as soon as it was safe to do so.
While impacted investor-owned electric companies, electric cooperatives, and public power utilities already have restored power to nearly 750,000 customers as of 9:00 a.m. (ET), work continues around-the-clock, especially in the communities that saw between 1 and 2 inches of destructive ice accumulations.
“This unified effort includes close coordination with federal, state, and local officials who share the goal of safely restoring power as quickly as possible,” said Edison Electric Institute (EEI) President and CEO Drew Maloney. “The massive mutual assistance mobilization has ensured we have enough workers in place, with crews shared across the region and reassigned to the next priority as soon as they wrap up work. We also greatly appreciate the efforts of federal and state leaders to deploy additional road and tree-clearing resources into the hardest-hit communities.”
Last night, the CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council convened its third call with senior officials from the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the White House to receive updates directly from the most impacted electricity providers.
“In the wake of Winter Storm Fern, the Department of Energy remains committed to doing everything in our power to mitigate blackouts and lower energy costs for the American people,” said U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary James P. Danly. “Thanks to the work of our industry partners, mutual assistance crews are restoring power as quickly and safely as possible across the country. Since Winter Storm Fern began on January 24, the Department has issued 8 emergency orders to stabilize the electric grid across impacted regions—the Department is using all of the available tools at our disposal to mitigate power outages and save lives.”
Workers continue to face dangerously cold temperatures, treacherous roads, and falling trees and branches, requiring significant safety precautions to be taken. In many cases, trees are falling in areas that already were restored, causing new outages. It is essential that customers stay off the roads to let local public works teams and industry crews do their jobs safely and efficiently.
“The men and women who are out in these frigid conditions trying to get the lights back on are nothing short of heroes,” said American Public Power Association (APPA) President and CEO Scott Corwin. “Many of them have traveled from outside of the affected regions, joining the around-the-clock effort to get the power on for everyone as quickly and safely as possible.”
The energy grid is highly interconnected, and even if customers do not see crews in their neighborhoods or on their streets yet, essential repairs are underway.
“Electric co-op crews from across the nation continue working heroically to rebuild their systems in the wake of Winter Storm Fern,” said National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Jim Matheson. “Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power in unprecedented conditions. The ongoing collaboration within the electric co-op network and across industry and government continues to be essential as we work together to recover from this storm.”
Customer and worker safety remains the top priority. Customers should never use portable generators or grills indoors or in other enclosed areas where lethal fumes can accumulate. Customers also are reminded to remain vigilant against suspicious text messages or scammers demanding cash or app payments in exchange for restoration services.
###
About the American Public Power Association
The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. It represents public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 55 million people that public power utilities serve across the United States and its territories. We advise on electricity policy, grid technology and operations, and workforce development in support of safe, modern, and resilient utilities.
About the Edison Electric Institute
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide safe, reliable electricity for nearly 250 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Collectively, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States and drives economic growth and prosperity. EEI also includes hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.
About the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $15 billion annually in their communities.
Media Contacts
Tobias Sellier (APPA)
(202) 467-2927
tsellier@publicpower.org
Brian Reil (EEI)
(508) 414-5794
breil@eei.org
Amber Allman (NRECA)
(571) 683-4465
amber.allman@nreca.coop