US natural gas prices rose 75% in three days as the country braced for a huge Arctic storm.
Much of the East Coast and Midwest expect snow and sleet, with travel likely to be disrupted. Heavy snow and subzero temperatures in big cities will drive heating demand, and the cold will also hit Texas’ oil-and-gas fields, which could “wreak havoc on the power grid,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Washington ordered grid operators to use backup electricity generation from alternative sources, such as data centers and factories — an unusual move, the WSJ noted, since they do not usually distribute energy to the grid, and it is unclear whether the plan could work at short notice.
