Winter in New England no longer arrives quietly. It comes with biting cold, soaring energy demand, and growing strain on an already fragile power system. When temperatures plunge, the region turns to familiar emergency measures to keep homes warm and lights on. Yet those measures carry hidden costs. During extreme cold, New England’s dependence on fossil fuels does not just threaten reliability. It also fills the air with pollution that harms public health and burdens households with higher costs. The events surrounding Winter Storm Fern show how delaying offshore wind continues to lock the region into this dangerous cycle.
A brutal winter reveals deep cracks in the energy system
This winter delivered some of the coldest conditions seen across the United States in years. In New England, temperatures dropped into the single digits and frequently fell below zero. Moreover, the cold lingered. For more than a week, many areas did not rise above freezing. As a result, energy demand surged across the region.
Heating needs drove much of this demand. In New England, natural gas heats about 40 percent of homes. At the same time, electricity demand rose sharply. Furnaces, fans, pumps, and electric heating systems all require power to operate. Increasingly, heat pumps were added to that load. Consequently, the region faced a double surge in energy use.
This pattern exposed a structural weakness. New England relies heavily on natural gas not only for heating but also for electricity. More than half of in-region power generation depends on gas. When extreme cold hits, gas demand from homes and businesses rises first. Gas utilities secure their supplies long in advance. Power plants, however, typically buy gas as needed. Therefore, when supplies tighten, power plants lose access.
During Winter Storm Fern in late January 2026, this conflict became unavoidable. Gas shortages spread across the region. In response, the grid operator had to activate emergency measures to avoid outages. Although the system held together, it did so under severe stress.
History shows how close this approach comes to failure. During a similar storm years earlier, officials warned that even oil supplies might not arrive in time. At that point, the backup plan itself was at risk. Rolling blackouts in deadly cold nearly became a reality. Winter Storm Fern followed the same path, once again revealing how vulnerable the region remains.
Oil-fired power steps in, and pollution fills the sky
When gas supplies fall short, the grid turns to oil-fired generation. Many gas plants in New England can switch to oil as a backup fuel. This option keeps electricity flowing, yet it comes with serious consequences.
Oil burns far dirtier than gas. It releases higher levels of carbon pollution and emits large amounts of soot and sulfur dioxide. These pollutants damage lungs, strain hearts, and worsen respiratory illnesses. Years ago, communities pushed hard to limit oil burning because of these health risks.
However, during Winter Storm Fern, emergency waivers allowed oil-fired plants to operate without their usual pollution controls. This decision prioritized immediate reliability. As a result, thick pollution spread across the region. The description captured the severity: it resembled an oil spill in the sky.
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The lights stayed on, but the air quality suffered. Pollution does not remain confined to power plant sites. Instead, it drifts into neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. People who had no role in energy planning still breathed the consequences.
Meanwhile, oil also drove up costs. It ranks among the most expensive fuels for electricity generation. When oil plants run, wholesale power prices spike. Those costs eventually reach households and businesses through higher bills. Therefore, emergency oil use harms both public health and family budgets.
Even after the storm passed, the risks remained. Days later, the grid operator warned again of tight conditions. Energy demand stayed high. Fuel supplies remained strained. Each warning signaled how easily the system could fall back into the same dirty and costly pattern.
Offshore wind shows how reliability and clean air align
New England does not lack alternatives. Offshore wind stands out as a powerful resource located close to where energy is needed most. Importantly, winter storms that strain the grid often bring strong offshore winds at the same time.
Data collected over two decades confirms this link. During many cold snaps, offshore wind speeds increase. Therefore, wind turbines could generate significant electricity precisely when demand peaks and gas supplies tighten.
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Recent analysis focused on the winter of 2024–25 to measure this potential. Using the grid operator’s own framework, the analysis examined periods when energy shortfalls were most likely. It then added offshore wind production based on real hourly wind data.
Two scenarios were evaluated. The first assumed 1,500 megawatts of offshore wind, matching projects already built or nearly complete and contracted to deliver power. The second assumed 3,500 megawatts, including additional projects selected for future contracts.
The results showed a clear impact. With 1,500 megawatts online, elevated demand-related risk would have dropped by 55 percent. With 3,500 megawatts, that risk would have dropped by 75 percent. At the higher level, nearly every high-risk day would have stayed out of the most dangerous zone.
Offshore wind also affects costs. Analysis showed that 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind could have saved New England ratepayers about $400 million in just one winter. By reducing reliance on expensive oil and strained gas supplies, wind lowers overall system costs.
This reduction matters because it breaks the familiar chain of events. Fewer high-risk days mean fewer emergencies. Fewer emergencies mean less oil burning. In turn, that means cleaner air and a steadier electricity supply during extreme cold.
Taken together, the facts tell a consistent story. Extreme cold exposes the weaknesses of a fossil fuel–heavy system. Gas shortages trigger oil burning. Oil burning pollutes the air and raises costs. Offshore wind, drawing on local and abundant resources, directly reduces those risks during the most critical moments of winter.
