Eastern US Hit Hard by Power Cuts in Freezing Storm

Many folks along the Eastern U.S. right now are facing issues, as a brutal cold snap combined with tight natural gas supplies has knocked out power plants and left over a million people without electricity. The trouble really ramped up on January 25, 2026, when frigid temperatures dipped well below freezing across states like Tennessee, Virginia, and beyond. PowerOutage.us reported more than 1 million customers in the dark by late afternoon that Sunday, with Tennessee bearing the brunt, hundreds of thousands affected there alone.

Grid operators scrambled, issuing emergency alerts to avoid full-scale blackouts, but several plants couldn't keep up because gas pipelines were strained from the high demand for heating. This isn't just about overturning a switch; it's hitting everyday life hard. In Virginia's "data center alley," where big tech hubs chew up tons of energy, power prices skyrocketed as supplies dwindled.

Families are dealing with no hot water or lights, schools might close, and businesses are grinding to a halt. What caused this problem? Experts point to the massive storm stretching over 2,000 miles, dumping ice and snow while boosting gas use for homes. Restricted supplies from pipelines meant less fuel for generators, leading to forced outages. Officials from PJM Interconnection, which manages the region's grid, warned this could stay if the cold sticks around. It's a tough spot, but crews are out restoring lines around the clock.

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