101 - The Secretary of Energy

Energy Secretary Chris Wright is driving bold changes in nuclear energy and grid reliability. On January 28, the Department of Energy issued a request for information inviting states to host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses. According to the Department of Energy, these campuses would focus on nuclear fuel fabrication, enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, separations, and radioactive waste management to build a domestic nuclear fuel cycle. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated, unleashing the next American nuclear renaissance will drive innovation, fuel economic growth, and create good-paying American jobs while delivering the affordable, reliable, and secure energy America needs to power its future. The Department of Energy news release reports the deadline for responses is April 1 via SAM dot gov.

National Public Radio reports the Trump administration secretly rewrote Department of Energy nuclear safety rules over the fall and winter to speed up construction of experimental commercial nuclear reactors by July 4. The changes cut hundreds of pages of requirements on safety systems, environmental protections, site security, and accident investigations, including ending the ALARA principle to reduce radiation doses as low as reasonably achievable. Critics like Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists warn it takes a wrecking ball to the system of nuclear safety and security regulation oversight. The Department of Energy defends the revisions, saying the reduction of unnecessary regulations will increase innovation without jeopardizing safety.

E and E News reports a new fiscal 2026 spending minibus package provides Department of Energy with 49 billion dollars, boosting advanced nuclear reactors by shifting over five billion dollars from prior programs like carbon management. Geothermal funding rises 27 percent, a priority for Wright.

Amid a deep freeze from Winter Storm Fern, Wright issued emergency orders on Monday to PJM Interconnection and Duke Energy, allowing data centers to use backup diesel generators despite air pollution rules. E and E News says this prioritizes grid reliability, potentially exposing communities to emissions, as Wright noted 35 gigawatts of idle generators are too valuable to waste.

The Department of Energy also announced a realignment of its Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation to focus on pressing energy challenges.

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Energy Secretary Chris Wright took swift action over the past few days to protect power grids battered by Winter Storm Fern. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that on January 26, 2026, Secretary Wright issued two emergency orders to deploy backup generation in the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas, aiming to stabilize the grid, save lives, and lower costs amid freezing temperatures and blackouts. The department's news release details how these orders direct backup power from data centers and major facilities to ease strain on strained systems.

In New York and surrounding areas, Secretary Wright signed another emergency order to mitigate blackouts, as stated in the Energy Department's announcement on the same day. This move strengthens the grid by freeing up electricity for households, hospitals, and essential services. Bloomberg reports that the order authorizes PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. grid operator serving over 67 million people from Chicago to Virginia, to divert power destined for data centers to critical customers and prevent rolling blackouts. Two units of Duke Energy Corporation received similar authorization.

The Energy Department also notes Secretary Wright issued orders to keep the New England and Texas grids stable during the storm. In a letter to grid operators, he urged them to maintain communication with the department and prepare backup resources at data centers. These steps come as arctic cold snaps drive record natural gas demand, with U.S. imports from Canada hitting highs around 9.5 billion cubic feet on January 26, according to IIR Energy analysis.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson is set to speak at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event on February 3, 2026, focusing on innovation in critical minerals, as outlined in the event agenda. These efforts highlight the department's push for energy dominance under President Trump's administration.

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U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright took swift action over the past few days to protect power grids battered by Winter Storm Fern. On January 26, 2026, the Department of Energy announced that Secretary Wright issued two emergency orders to deploy backup generation in the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas regions. These measures aim to stabilize the grid, save lives, and lower energy costs for millions amid the storm's fury, according to the Department of Energy's official release.

Earlier, on January 22, Wright warned grid operators nationwide to stay in close contact with the department and prepare unused backup generators at data centers and major facilities. The Department of Energy reports that more than 35 gigawatts of such generation sits idle across the country, ready to prevent blackouts. "We have identified more than 35 gigawatts of unused backup generation that exists across the country and are taking action to ensure that if the nation needs it, the generation will be made available," Wright stated in the announcement. He emphasized the department's commitment to averting outages and cutting costs for Americans.

The very same day, January 26, Wright issued another emergency order specifically for New York and surrounding areas. This directive strengthens the grid there following the storm's impact, as detailed in the department's update. These rapid responses highlight Wright's focus on reliability during extreme weather.

Meanwhile, debate simmers over radiation regulations tied to energy policy. Former Assistant Secretary Katy Huff argued in a Scientific American op-ed, covered by Nuclear News on January 26, that loosening Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules without solid new evidence could risk public health, especially for women and children. She urges more research before changes based on a 2025 executive order.

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Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been making significant moves this week as the country faces a major winter storm and a significant shift in federal energy policy.

On Friday, Wright issued an emergency order directing the nation's power grid operators to prepare backup generation resources at data centers and other major facilities to help stabilize the electrical system during Winter Storm Fern. The Department of Energy estimates that more than thirty-five gigawatts of unused backup generation capacity remains available nationwide. This reserve could help prevent rolling blackouts and reduce costs for hundreds of millions of Americans as the storm brings heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the country from the south-central regions through New England.

The storm has already impacted energy production significantly. Crude oil output is expected to decline by approximately three hundred thousand barrels per day as operators shut down production in key basins due to freezing conditions. The Permian Basin alone, which accounts for roughly half of total U.S. crude production, could see a two hundred thousand barrel per day drop. Additionally, natural gas production could be cut by eighty-six billion cubic feet over the next two weeks, with the Appalachia region potentially losing thirty-five billion cubic feet of output.

Beyond the immediate storm response, Wright has also overseen a major restructuring of federal energy financing. The Department of Energy announced it will eliminate or restructure eighty-three point six billion dollars in loans and conditional commitments previously focused on renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The department renamed its Loans Programs Office to the Office of Energy Dominance Financing and shifted priorities toward baseload power sources including natural gas, nuclear power, and coal. Approximately nine point five billion dollars in subsidies for wind and solar projects were eliminated under this new direction. The agency is now focusing on six specific sectors while excluding renewable energy and battery storage from funding consideration.

The PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. power grid serving thirteen states and the District of Columbia, has warned that it could set a new all-time winter peak load on Tuesday, January twenty-seventh, depending on temperatures. The grid is preparing for peak demand that could exceed one hundred thirty thousand megawatts for as many as seven consecutive days, a duration it has never experienced during winter operations.

Wright's actions this week highlight the administration's dual focus on maintaining grid reliability during extreme weather while fundamentally redirecting federal support away from renewable energy toward traditional and nuclear power sources.

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U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been active at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, addressing global energy challenges amid a harsh U.S. winter and shifts in oil supply. On Wednesday, Wright met with oil executives and stated that Venezuela's oil output, currently at 900,000 barrels per day, could rise 30 percent in the short to medium term, reaching about 1.17 million barrels per day. Reuters reports this projection surprised many, as years of underinvestment and sanctions had slashed production from 3.5 million barrels per day in the 1970s.

Wright's comments align with President Trump's push for U.S. companies to invest 100 billion dollars in Venezuela's oil sector after the January 3 capture of Nicolas Maduro. Deals with trading firms Vitol and Trafigura have already moved 50 million barrels of stuck oil, with the first U.S. sale netting 500 million dollars held in protected Treasury accounts. However, Bloomberg Television notes Wright clarified Thursday that the U.S. will not provide physical or financial security guarantees for operations there. Oil firms must handle their own risks in challenging environments with outdated equipment and heavy crude that requires heating for extraction.

In another Davos session, Wright called for the world to more than double global oil production to meet surging demand, while critiquing European Union energy policies for causing higher prices and unreliability. The Price Group Energy Report from January 21 highlights how Trump's Davos speech touted Venezuelan investments, nuclear power advancements for artificial intelligence demands, and U.S. leadership in shale production. These moves come as brutal cold snaps cut U.S. natural gas output by up to 10 billion cubic feet per day, spiking prices, though increased Venezuelan supply helps stabilize oil markets.

Wright emphasized needing all energy sources, including renewables, for growth. The International Energy Agency raised its 2026 oil demand forecast to 930,000 barrels per day amid resilient markets.

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