Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled ‘Winter Storm Fern Lessons: Supplying Reliable Power to Meet Peak Demand,’ according to a March 11 statement. The hearing is scheduled for March 17 at 10:00 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building and will be open to the public and press.
The hearing aims to examine lessons learned from Winter Storm Fern, which tested the resilience of energy systems across the country. Guthrie and Latta said, “As Winter Storm Fern swept across the country and energy needs were at their highest, it was baseload, dispatchable power sources like coal, nuclear power, and natural gas that kept the lights on for millions of American families. As we look to expand our grid to meet the moment for the AI race and reshoring manufacturing, this hearing will provide an opportunity to examine lessons learned from the storm that will support the reliable supply of power to the grid, especially during peak demand.”
José Costa, President and CEO of Northeast Gas Association (NGA), submitted written testimony highlighting how natural gas infrastructure in the Northeast operated at or near maximum capacity during Winter Storm Fern. Costa said that while significant electric outages were avoided in the region due to industry preparation and coordination, “it is clear – proactive investment in new natural gas infrastructure and expanding the region’s natural gas storage capabilities is required to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable energy for the Northeast.”
Costa outlined that Appalachian Basin producers experienced only about a 5% reduction in supply during peak demand periods. He also noted that interstate pipelines recorded some of their highest flow days on record while local distribution companies met record-setting customer demand. LNG import facilities played a critical role as pipelines reached capacity limits.
Costa emphasized that natural gas remains essential for both heating and electricity generation in New England and New York. He said that reliance on trucked fuels increased as pipeline-delivered gas tightened but warned this is not a sustainable solution if demand continues rising without infrastructure expansion. Costa concluded by saying policies restricting system modernization could result in higher emissions, increased consumer costs, reduced system resilience, and threats to life safety during extreme weather events.
The hearing will be live streamed online at energycommerce.house.gov. For more information about this announcement or testimony details visit the official website.
