Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is gunning for the Nashville Electric Service (NES) as thousands of Nashville residents remain without power — more than a week after Winter Storm Fern wreaked havoc on the area — and some may not see their power restored for another ten days.
Blackburn argued that NES had spent more time focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives than on the kind of preparation that could have helped them manage a massive winter storm more efficiently.
&#8220;The Nashville Electric Service held 102 DEI-related training sessions by the end of 2024. They should’ve been using those resources to trim trees and bury utilities. This is what happens when companies put woke politics over the needs of the people they serve,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/2018009739926605839">posted</a> on Sunday.
Blackburn also sent a letter directly to NES demanding answers regarding the still unfolding situation in her home state — as well as a detailed plan explaining how the company planned to prevent anything similar from happening again.
&#8220;The failure to adequately prepare for Winter Storm Fern is precisely the reason line crews are working overtime and citizens are clearing limbs and debris at great risk to their own safety to help friends and neighbors,&#8221; Blackburn wrote in the letter. &#8220;This disruption (crew members in the field) are working to correct reflects a failure of leadership and planning, one that could have been mitigated with thoughtful preparation ahead of the storm. You owe your customers transparency, accountability, and a clear explanation of how this breakdown occurred and how you will prevent this from happening in the future.&#8221;
Blackburn gave NES a deadline of February 2 and laid out six key questions she wanted addressed. She posted the letter itself on X, adding, &#8220;By failing to properly prepare for Winter Storm Fern, @NESpower put Tennesseans in harm’s way. NES owes its customers transparency, accountability, and a clear explanation for why thousands of people remain without power. I’m demanding answers to ensure this can’t happen again.&#8221;
<ol>
<li>&#8220;According to reporting by The Tennessean, experienced linemen offered to aid with storm recovery, but Nashville Electric Service declined the offer, stating it already had sufficient resources. Why did NES turn down that offer for additional personnel during a widespread outage of this magnitude?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Given the lessons learned from past devastating storms, such as Nashville’s 1994 ice storm, why was NES not adequately prepared for Winter Storm Fern, despite ample warning and clear historical precedent?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Forecasts warned days in advance that this would be a generational severe weather event. Why were recovery operations and service restoration plans not fully prepared and mobilized ahead of time?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Why has there been such inconsistency in power restoration updates, with many customers being told their power has been restored when it has not, particularly given NES’s acknowledgment that it recently implemented a new outage notification and tracking system?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Residents in some areas have been told they may be without power for up to two weeks. How does NES consider that timeline acceptable, especially for residents who rely on electricity for life-sustaining medical equipment and other critical needs?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Due to extended outages, many residents had no choice but to seek temporary lodging. Will NES be reimbursing customers for expenses incurred during this period?&#8221;</li>
</ol>
NES responded to Blackburn&#8217;s letter on Saturday, and the Tennessee Senator posted that letter as well — and said that their answers were not good enough.
&#8220;@NESPower&#8217;s response to my letter is entirely insufficient. The company refused to take any accountability and is forcing Tennesseans to wait another week for full restoration of power. This is unacceptable. Whoever is responsible for this breakdown should be fired,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/NESpower?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NESpower</a>’s response to my letter is entirely insufficient. The company refused to take any accountability and is forcing Tennesseans to wait another week for full restoration of power.
This is unacceptable. Whoever is responsible for this breakdown should be fired. <a href="https://t.co/ptaDtZC9mi">pic.twitter.com/ptaDtZC9mi</a>
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/2017996925975609468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the letter, NES explained that half of the people in their entire service area (about 230,000) had lost power when the storm first hit, and that power had been restored to all but 44,000 of them. The remaining homes without power, NES assured Blackburn, would be back online within another week.
But some individual cases may prove to be more difficult, as one local investigative reporter described a situation currently affecting a viewer who had written him: &#8220;Wow! From viewer regarding Nashville Electric Service issue: &#8216;We can’t report an outage at a single residence after others around us have been restored. We report it, and the system immediately responds that it has been restored. Neighbors have power, but we have not due to a line down in the back yard. If it doesn’t stay on the NES list as needing repair, we may never get power restored. We have been in our house for 6+ days without power, like the rest of Nashville. It’s 38-40 degrees in the house. We run a generator intermittently, and we are doing better than most. But to not be able to reliably report an outage is absurd.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Wow! From viewer regarding Nashville Electric Service issue: “We can’t report an outage at a single residence after others around us have been restored. We report it, and the system immediately responds that it has been restored. Neighbors have power, but we have not due to a… <a href="https://t.co/bH9E6k7JLm">pic.twitter.com/bH9E6k7JLm</a>
— Phil Williams (@PhilNvestigates) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilNvestigates/status/2017399479444365402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Blackburn made it clear on Sunday that she was frustrated with the leadership at NES, not the rank and file employees.
&#8220;The linemen who are on the ground making repairs and working in the frigid temperatures to restore power are the unsung heroes of the response to this horrible winter storm. So grateful for these men and women,&#8221; she said.

Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee Senator Declares War On ‘Woke’ Nashville Power Company After Week-Long Outage

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Electricity

Nashville

Politics

Power

Tennessee

Wokeness

The top official at the Nashville Electric Service touted her effort to save Nashville&#8217;s tree &#8220;canopy&#8221; last August instead of aggressively trimming trees away from power lines. Nashville Electric Service CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin&#8217;s past comments have now come under scrutiny after an ice storm wrecked Nashville, bringing trees down onto roads and power lines and resulting in the worst power outage in the city&#8217;s history.
The Tennessee Star <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/culture/woke-nes-ceo-on-tree-trimming-i-dont-want-us-out-destroying-the-canopy/khousler/2026/01/29/">reported</a> on Thursday that Broyles-Aplin, who took over as CEO of the electric service in 2022, touted her tree-hugging efforts during an August appearance on &#8220;<a href="https://www.newschannel5.com/plus/urban-league-live/nashville-electric-service">Urban League Live</a>&#8221; on NewsChannel 5 Nashville.
&#8220;We have customers sometimes that are concerned that we may be trimming aggressively and not taking into account the health of the trees, and that couldn&#8217;t be further from the truth,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We do species-specific trimming that is intended to ensure the health of the tree. &#8230; I think most people don&#8217;t realize that we go to that depth of effort, and we have arborists on our staff &#8230; that oversee the planning and the post-cutting inspections, so we take a lot of pride in making sure that we are cutting the trees in a healthy fashion.&#8221;
“We care about the [tree] canopy. We have to live here, too,” Broyles-Aplin said. “And so I don’t want us out destroying the canopy.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to the Nashville Electric Service for comment.
While Broyles-Aplin assured people last August that the electric service takes extreme care in its trimming, some Nashville tree service owners told <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2026/01/29/nes-nashville-power-outage-ice-tree-experts/88409270007/">The Tennesseean</a> that the Nashville Electric Service wasn&#8217;t properly keeping up with tree maintenance.
“If they maintained it better, there would be less power outages, at the end of the day,” said Lucas Crenshaw, but he also acknowledged that &#8220;you can only prepare so much.&#8221;
Meagan Cowles, another tree service owner, told the Nashville outlet, &#8220;I am very confident in my opinion to say that NES does not follow the proper cutting procedures to follow the standards.&#8221;
Tree cutting professionals told The Tennessean that the Nashville Electric Service should expand how far it cuts trees from power lines to ensure that falling trees don&#8217;t crash into the lines. They also suggested that homeowners should trim or cut trees on their property that could pose a risk to the power lines near their homes.
The Nashville Electric Service is the 11th largest public utilities agency in the country. The service&#8217;s five-member board is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by Nashville&#8217;s Metro Council. The Nashville Electric Service has been criticized over its preparedness and response to the winter storm that pounded the city with snow and ice last weekend. Tens of thousands of Nashville residents have gone without power for five days as the city also faces extremely cold temperatures.
Along with facing scrutiny over its tree trimming strategy, the agency has also been slammed by many residents who say there is a lack of manpower in the field to address the vast power outages. The Nashville Electric Service had around 200 linemen prepared to work on downed lines, and the agency has nearly quadrupled the number of linemen in the field since the weekend, relying on help from other states.
One lineman told <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-electric-service-accused-of-rejecting-help-amid-massive-power-outages-nes-winter-storm-middle-tennessee-union-memebers">Fox 17 Nashville</a> that he doesn’t think Nashville has deployed enough workers to address the widespread outages, adding that the city needed &#8220;a minimum of 2,000&#8221; linemen. The lineman said he believes the electric company didn’t want to pay union wages for outside help.
Broyles-Aplin released a <a href="https://x.com/NESpower/status/2016901409342374389">statement</a> on Thursday morning addressing the ongoing power outages.
&#8220;Many of you are waking up to day #5 without power, which is a significant hardship. It’s our job at NES to keep the power on, and we will not stop until every household in Nashville has power again,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This storm was unprecedented for Nashville and our country, affecting almost half of the U.S. Its icy layers caused widespread damage across our service area to transmission lines, substations and distribution networks.&#8221;
Broyles-Aplin said that around 230,000 residents lost power at the peak of the outages, but it was around 230,000 homes and businesses without power at the peak. Since multiple people reside in many homes, the outages likely affected far more than 230,000 people.
&#8220;Today, we have less than 90,000 homes remaining without electricity. NES has brought in partners from around the country to engage additional available, qualified crews,&#8221; Broyles-Aplin added.
The utilities CEO said that some Nashville residents should be prepared for the power outages to continue &#8220;through the weekend or longer.&#8221; Temperatures are expected to plunge again in the Music City this weekend, with lows nearing 10 degrees.

Nashville Electric CEO Touted Tree-Hugging Over Aggressive Trimming Months Before Massive Ice Storm

Severe Weather

U.S.

Winter storm

Over 100,000 homes and businesses in Nashville are still without power after a nationwide winter storm slammed the city with ice over the weekend.
The Nashville Electric Service, which serves the vast majority of the metro Nashville area, said in a Wednesday afternoon update that a total of 109,000 customers remain without power, while around 121,000 customers have had their electricity restored. The slow progress after the massive winter storm has put many Nashville residents on edge as they wait for the power to come back while battling extreme cold, with temperatures plunging to below 10 degrees earlier this week.
The storm, which brought snow and nearly an inch of ice in some areas, resulted in the biggest power outage in the history of the Nashville Electric Service.
&#8220;We have deployed more than 900 lineworkers who are continuing restoration efforts and help our customers. These lineworkers are joining us from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, Indiana and from different areas in Tennessee,&#8221; the Nashville Electric Service said in its most recent update. &#8220;Additionally, 215 vegetation management team members as well as supplemental contract teams have been deployed to complement restoration efforts and ensure lineworkers can continue reaching their sites efficiently.&#8221;
A major issue slowing down crews is the heavy damage caused by the storm, which brought down trees, limbs, and road signs, blocking roads. Ice from the storm also coated roads and highways, impeding travel, but many residents are questioning why the electric company didn&#8217;t prepare before the storm to send more linemen into the field, especially since weather forecasts predicted a potentially devastating ice storm.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pictures-ice-wreaks-havoc-on-nashville-leaving-thousands-without-power">RELATED: PICTURES: Ice Wreaks Havoc On Nashville, Leaving Thousands Without Power</a>
The Nashville Electric Service addressed the frustrations over its response, saying on Wednesday, &#8220;We’ve heard from our customers and know that many are feeling frustrated right now. We understand that being without power is a significant hardship. Our crews are working around the clock to navigate complex damage, and we remain fully committed to restoring service as safely and quickly as possible for everyone still affected.&#8221;
Tennessee National Guard troops were <a href="https://x.com/peytonTVkennedy/status/2016588155512668357">reportedly</a> en route to the Nashville area on Wednesday to help clear fallen trees. Residents were also outside with chainsaws early Wednesday morning, trying to clear debris for linemen, Fox 17 Nashville <a href="https://x.com/FOXNashville/status/2016557127444087157">reported</a>.
The electric company has gradually increased the number of linemen in the field as workers from other states have joined the effort to restore power to Music City. The Nashville Electric Service, however, has been accused of refusing extra help and working with significantly fewer linemen than the neighboring Middle Tennessee Electric.
One lineman told <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-electric-service-accused-of-rejecting-help-amid-massive-power-outages-nes-winter-storm-middle-tennessee-union-memebers">Fox 17 Nashville</a> that he doesn&#8217;t think Nashville has deployed enough workers to address the widespread outages, adding that the city needed &#8220;a minimum of 2,000&#8243; linemen. The lineman said he believes the electric company didn&#8217;t want to pay union wages for outside help.
The Nashville Electric Service denied claims that it has refused extra help and said that it doesn&#8217;t avoid paying union wages.
“As far as we know, no,” Nashville Electric Service spokesman Brent Baker said when asked if the company refused extra help. “We are sticking to the path of bringing on the crews that we have partnered with and through the mutual aid &#8230; NES currently has crews from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi and states across the United States and especially the region. As we continue to scale up and grow the workforce, we were accepting workforce from all of those agreements.&#8221;
Hotels in Nashville quickly filled up with people escaping the cold while they waited for their power to return. Some church buildings, community centers, and homeless shelters were also <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/weather/2026/01/26/how-to-stay-warm-find-shelters-in-nashville-during-winter-storm-cold/88360325007/">open</a> to the public in the city, and free hot meals were available for residents at the fairgrounds on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Daily Wire

Nashville Reaches 5th Day Of ‘Historic’ Power Outages, Over 100K Still Have No Electricity

Over a million Americans are without power, and at least nine are dead as a result of the winter storm battering the southern and eastern United States.
Winter Storm Fern has blanketed the country with ice, snow, and freezing temperatures — a dangerous combination that has many concerned power outages will last into next week. Airlines across the United States have <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2026/01/25/flight-cancellations-delays-winter-storm/88339910007/">canceled</a> the highest number of flights since the coronavirus pandemic, according to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2026/01/25/flight-cancellations-delays-winter-storm/88339910007/">USA Today,</a> with 4,500 flights within, into, or out of the United States delayed as of Sunday night, according to <a href="http://flightaware.com/">FlightAware.com</a>. Over 11,000 flights have been canceled.
“The dangers aren&#8217;t over even with the precipitation ending,” National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Brian Hurley told USA Today. “A lot of the areas that are still getting the heavy ice, freezing rain, sleet and snow, will stay below freezing through the work week.”
“We worry about people having cold weather exposure with no power,” Hurley said.
The storm, which began on Friday, has hammered a stretch of the United States from Texas to the East Coast, dumping snow and freezing rain across hundreds of miles. Several states have declared emergencies over the impacts of the storm, including Tennessee, Indiana, and South Carolina, among others.
“Heavy snow will continue to spread across the Northeast this evening and overnight, with rapid accumulations (1–2”/hr) producing totals around 2 feet in parts of the region. Catastrophic ice impacts linger farther south with prolonged power outages,” the National Weather Service <a href="https://x.com/NWSWPC/status/2015523975535759843">posted</a> on Sunday afternoon.
Videos and images of the storm&#8217;s aftermath <a href="https://x.com/MNPDNashville/status/2015559524476760412">posted</a> online have shown a glimpse of the damage, with downed power lines and trees blocking roads. Numerous closures and restrictions of schools, businesses, and local offices have been announced.
At least five of the dead were found outside in New York, but reports say they were not believed to be homeless.
&#8220;While we do not yet know their causes of death, there is no more powerful reminder of the dangers of the extreme cold, and how vulnerable how many of our neighbors are, especially homeless New Yorkers,&#8221; New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
Another exposure-related death was reported in Michigan and one in Austin, Texas. Two more were reported in Louisiana.

US Winter Storm Prompts Power Grid Emergencies, Travel Chaos

Millions Without Power As Massive Winter Storm Batters Swaths Of The United States

Sulfur hexafluoride, a gas 24,300 times more potent at creating the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide, is being released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate as China seeks to expand its electric power grid.
The findings were from a new <a href="https://eaps.mit.edu/news-impact/atmospheric-observations-in-china-show-rise-in-emissions-of-a-potent-greenhouse-gas/">study</a> conducted by researchers at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, Fudan University, Peking University, University of Bristol, and Meteorological Observation Center of China Meteorological Administration.
&#8220;Greenhouse gases differ widely in their global warming potential (GWP), or ability to absorb radiative energy and thereby warm the Earth’s surface,&#8221; MIT said. &#8220;For example, measured over a 100-year period, the GWP of methane is about 28 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2), and the GWP of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is 24,300 times that of CO2.&#8221;
Sulfur hexafluoride, SF6, is used &#8220;primarily in high-voltage electrical switchgear in electric power grids,&#8221; the report said, adding that atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gas have skyrocketed as the global demand for electric power increases.
The report said that the increase in SF6 in the atmosphere, which communist China is largely responsible for, threatens the world’s efforts to combat so-called &#8220;climate change.&#8221;
&#8220;The researchers found that SF6 emissions in China almost doubled from 2.6 gigagrams (Gg) per year in 2011, when they accounted for 34 percent of global SF6 emissions, to 5.1 Gg per year in 2021, when they accounted for 57 percent of global total SF6 emissions,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;This increase from China over the 10-year period — some of it emerging from the country’s less-populated western regions — was larger than the global total SF6 emissions rise, highlighting the importance of lowering SF6 emissions from China in the future.&#8221;
SF6 gasses that escape in the atmosphere last for more than a thousand years and with a negative impact 24,300 times greater than CO2, the stakes could not be higher as officials seek to force consumers to abandon gas powered vehicles and switch to electric vehicles which requires having a robust power grid.
“Any increase in SF6 emissions this century will effectively alter our planet’s radiative budget — the balance between incoming energy from the sun and outgoing energy from the Earth — far beyond the multi-decadal time frame of current climate policies,” says MIT Joint Program and CGCS Director Ronald Prinn, a coauthor of the study. “So it’s imperative that China and all other nations take immediate action to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, their SF6 emissions.”

Commissioning of the Nordring Berlin high-voltage line

MIT Study: Gas 24,000x More Powerful Than CO2 Being Released From Power Grid

China

Climate Change

Communist China

Electric cars

electric vehicles

An ironic plot twist caused a planned vote to limit sales on gas-powered cars in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine</a>, forcing a transition to electric vehicles, to come to a screeching halt: a widespread power outage following recent storms that brought heavy rains and high winds.
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/21/politics/maine-delays-electric-vehicle-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was scheduled</a> to take a final vote on the proposal — which would have called for electric and plug-in hybrids to total 43% of new vehicle sales by 2027 and over 80% by 2032 — but after Governor Janet Mills (D-ME) declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, the vote was <a href="https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=DEP+PublicMeeting&amp;id=12077607&amp;v=govdel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postponed</a> until early February.
In addition to the vote being postponed, the effective date of the potential policy has been pushed to 2028 for the first threshold. The board would reevaluate the situation in 2028 to determine the next steps in whether a full transition to electric vehicles would be feasible.
A non-binding vote in October showed that the majority of the board supported the move, but there has been a fair amount of pushback from car dealers and Republican lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) has also <a href="https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-statement-on-maine-board-of-environmental-protection-electric-vehicle-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a statement</a> opposing it.
&#8220;The Maine Board of Environmental Protection will vote on proposed rules that would establish a California-style set of mandates forcing Maine auto dealers – and ultimately their customers – to purchase zero emission vehicles,&#8221; Golden said. &#8220;Earlier this year, I submitted testimony in opposition to such a mandate and have taken every opportunity in Congress to vote against policy that amounts to de facto electric vehicle mandates. Forcing Mainers to purchase cars and trucks powered by electricity when our grid is insufficient, charging stations are few and far between, and a storm like yesterday’s would render 80% of cars useless is, to say the least, ill-advised. As I wrote in my testimony, keeping Maine’s environment healthy is a goal we all share, but it’s one that demands thoughtful, place-based policy-making – not the broad-stroke application of a California law that would place an undue burden on hard-working Mainers.&#8221;
Several types of vehicles would be exempt from the policy even if it passes, according to a <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/21/politics/maine-delays-electric-vehicle-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bangor Daily News. Among them: &#8220;emergency, off-road, rural postal carrier and military vehicles, along with rental vehicles with a final destination outside Maine.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Electric vehicles made up just 6% of new vehicle sales in Maine this year.

Electric Vehicles Charging

Ironic Plot Twist Slams The Brakes On Maine Vote To Ban Gas Cars

Energy

Environment

Oil and Gas

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pakistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/asia/100000008738334/pakistan-power-outage-blackout.html?playlistId=video/world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experienced</a> a largescale <a href="https://sg.news.yahoo.com/pakistan-power-grid-hit-nationwide-043945570.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2023/01/23/Pakistan-power-outage/5561674479393/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outage</a> on <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/lights-out-in-pakistan-as-energy-saving-move-backfires/2023/01/23/0b76a044-9af6-11ed-93e0-38551e88239c_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monday</a> morning, bringing to light problems with the country&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electrical</a> grid.
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-23/pakistan-faces-major-nationwide-power-breakdown-ministry-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Millions</a> of <a href="https://time.com/6249261/pakistan-power-outage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people</a> <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/pakistan-power-outage-today-blackout-latest-b2267156.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across</a> the <a href="https://kelo.com/2023/01/23/factbox-why-were-millions-of-pakistanis-without-electricity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">country</a> were <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pakistan-power-outage-today-blackout-energy-crisis-economic-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">without</a> power when a major <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/22/asia/pakistan-power-outage-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blackout</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/23/world/asia/pakistan-power-outage-blackouts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> at 7:34 in the morning local time. Authorities said that the power was back on in areas of Islamabad, as well as the nearby city of Rawalpindi, after eight hours had gone by, according to The New York Times. 
According to reporting from Pakistani <a href="https://dbpedia.org/page/Dawn_Media_Group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlet</a> <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1733207/hours-after-major-outage-hits-pakistan-govt-says-power-restoration-under-way">Dawn</a>, the majority of the 220 million people who live in the country were impacted.
The blackout started in Sindh Province because of a power rush in voltage, according to local authorities. The energy minister, Khurram Dastgir Khan, said at a press conference that the voltage issue prompted a domino effect of electricity plants not working around Pakistan. 
Dastgir had also reportedly <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64369144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the situation was “not a major crisis,” but lots of residences and businesses did not have power over 12 hours after the outage started. 
He told Geo TV that some of the power was shut off during the night because of the winter season, per the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64369144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a>.
“In winter, the demand for electricity reduces nationwide, hence, as an economic measure, we temporarily close down our power generation systems at night,&#8221; he said. 
However, when the systems were turned on again, &#8220;frequency variation and voltage fluctuation&#8221; were seen in the <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/pakistan-s-national-grid-fails-for-the-second-time-in-three-months-123012301409_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">southern</a> part of the country &#8220;somewhere between Dadu and Jamshoro&#8221; and then &#8220;power generating units shut down one by one,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also <a href="https://arynews.tv/pm-shehbaz-sharif-takes-notice-of-countrywide-power-break-down/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">established</a> a high level group to look into the massive blackout.
Even though areas started to see electricity come back on, per Dastgir, experts have <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-suffers-major-power-outage-after-grid-failure-2023-01-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the electric issues come from the fact that the electric grid is older. The government, however, reportedly claims that it doesn’t have the money to improve it.
In 2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-energy-climate-change-featur/pakistan-faces-an-unexpected-dilemma-too-much-electricity-idUSKBN2AO27C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that 60% of the country&#8217;s electricity would be made from renewable energy by 2030.
The electrical grid in the country has been a source of problems over the past several years. According to a 2018 blog <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/what-s-keeping-pakistan-dark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> for the World Bank regarding the <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/30923/9781464811548.pdf?sequence=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, &#8220;In the Dark,&#8221; almost 50 million people in Pakistan weren’t able to utilize the electric grid. Pakistan also came in 115th place in a 2018 report on 137 economies’ power reliability. 
In 2021, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-energy-climate-change-featur/pakistan-faces-an-unexpected-dilemma-too-much-electricity-idUSKBN2AO27C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on a new issue in the country, in that it could make much more electricity than it had been able to in the past, mainly due to an increase in coal plants that China has paid for. 
&#8220;We have been adding capacity, but we have been doing so without improving transmission infrastructure,&#8221; Fahad Rauf, leader of research at Karachi brokerage Ismail Iqbal Industries, said more recently, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-suffers-major-power-outage-after-grid-failure-2023-01-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.

7803F027-9103-415D-979D-24C8C88493EA_1_201_a

Report: Tens Of Millions Experience Major Blackout In Pakistan

Pakistan

World

More than one million homes and businesses have lost <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> as a severe winter <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/weather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">storm</a> sweeps the United States.
The nation is contending with an arctic front causing snowfall and frigid temperatures until Saturday, which marks <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas</a> Eve, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWPC/status/1605137973703573504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> from the National Weather Service (NWS). Beyond placing travel plans in jeopardy as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massive-snowstorm-expected-to-impact-christmas-travel-nationwide-airlines-brace-for-cancellations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airlines cancel flights</a> and poor conditions impact roads, residents of several states are currently without power, particularly along the East Coast, according to <a href="https://poweroutage.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from PowerOutage.US.
North Carolina and Maine have the highest number of customers without power, with roughly 171,000 and 151,000 outages respectively. Tennessee and New York have 101,000 and 110,000 residents without power, while Connecticut has 69,000.
Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) was one of multiple chief executives to declare a state of emergency earlier this week in anticipation of the cold weather. “We know that with the extremely low temperatures North Carolinians will need propane and other heating fuel to keep their families warm,” he said in a <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2022/12/20/governor-cooper-signs-state-emergency-activate-emergency-response-plan-increase-transportation-fuel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
Other states west of the Mississippi River, such as Texas, Oregon, and Washington, have significant outages. The Lone Star State has 57,000 residents without power, while the two Pacific Northwest states have a combined 35,000. Arkansas and Louisiana have a combined 24,000 citizens without power.
In Buffalo, New York, wind gusts as high as 70 miles per hour are <a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=BUF&amp;issuedby=BUF&amp;product=AFD&amp;format=CI&amp;version=20&amp;glossary=1&amp;highlight=off" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> on Friday; the city could receive up to three feet of snow over the holiday weekend. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, residents <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSCheyenne/status/1605667970667069440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saw</a> temperatures drop from 43 degrees to 3 degrees in half an hour. The arctic blast is also impacting temperatures in Dallas, Texas, which <a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/weather/dfw-weather-cold-christmas-weekend/287-67ff83a9-b764-4039-ae16-5ec454e9e773" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saw</a> a low of 11 degrees on Friday morning, and Tampa, Florida, whose residents will wake up to near-freezing temperatures on Saturday morning.
Texas witnessed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-half-of-texas-wind-turbines-frozen-in-winter-storm-limiting-states-power-output" target="_blank" rel="noopener">severe power outages</a> in February 2021 after nearly half of the state’s wind turbines and much of the state’s natural gas system were impacted by frigid temperatures. Electric power distribution company Entergy Texas announced in a statement that staffers are working to restore power, according to a <a href="https://www.fox26houston.com/news/houston-texas-power-outages-freeze-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Fox 26 Houston. &#8220;The localized outages are related to windy conditions affecting main line and neighborhood circuits,” the company said. “Entergy Texas power generation resources continue to operate as expected, and crews are working around the clock to safely restore power as quickly as possible.”
The poor weather conditions are also impacting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-fedex-post-office-warn-of-delivery-delays-as-winter-weather-persists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">major delivery services</a> as Americans order last-minute Christmas presents. FedEx and UPS issued statements warning of delays, while Amazon and the United States Postal Service shuttered multiple locations.
Nearly 102 million Americans planned to drive to their holiday destinations, marking an increase from last year despite recent increases in gas prices, according to <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/12/nearly-113-million-people-will-travel-from-december-23-to-january-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA. Meanwhile, roughly 54 million passengers will depart from airports between December 18 and January 3, constituting a 20% increase from last year, according to <a href="https://media.hopper.com/research/christmas-2022-holiday-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Hopper.
“Rapid and significant temperature decreases associated with this system raises the potential for the flash freezing of bridges and roadways,” the National Weather Service said in a Wednesday <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/cold-for-holidays-blast-of-frigid-arctic-air-to-affect-most-of-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bulletin</a>. “The intensity of the cold would pose a significant danger to anyone who becomes stranded in blizzard conditions. A series of systems moving onshore in the Pacific Northwest will lead to several rounds of heavy precipitation this holiday weekend.”
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.

Storm Coverage of Milwaukee on Friday

Over One Million Homes And Businesses Without Power As Winter Storm Sweeps Country

Power Outages Hit Nationwide As Arctic Blast Advances

Christmas

National Weather Service

A reported attack on several electrical substations in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina">North Carolina</a> has left over 40,000 customers without power in Moore County.
Local authorities are investigating the incident that began Saturday night — approximately 70 miles southwest of Raleigh — as a criminal act.
&#8220;Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields reports that the mass power outage across the county is being investigated as a criminal occurrence,&#8221; the Moore County Sheriff Department&#8217;s Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MCSheriffOffice/posts/pfbid0g5iWaV6DrimDxiMhb9oQ4qcNqUJsxsSKP9ycWDG84DxbXQnKhNUmHCKeMYCzypd1l">post</a> said.
&#8220;Just after 7 pm on Saturday evening, December 3, 2022, several different communities across Moore County began experiencing power outages,&#8221; it added. &#8220;As utility companies began responding to the different substations, evidence was discovered that indicated that intentional vandalism had occurred at multiple sites.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-11242">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA&#8217;S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US AND SAVE 30%.</a>
The number of people without power included 60% of the county, leading officials to declare a state of emergency. The county has also declared a 9 p.m. Eastern Time curfew. Schools are closed on Monday.
A press conference held on Sunday afternoon noted that firearms were used to shoot and damage equipment at two substations.
“The NC Department of Public Safety is working with our local and federal law enforcement partners and will provide the appropriate state resources needed to assist in this investigation,” North Caroline Department of Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffaloe, Jr. said during the press conference, <a href="https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/intentional-vandalism-leaves-38000-customers-without-power-moore-county-sheriffs-office-says/SNCENVLP5NH5VCBOEI4G2G5CZY/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> WSOC-TV.
Gov. Roy Cooper (D) tweeted concerning the issue after talking with leaders at Duke Energy, the area&#8217;s power company.
&#8220;I appreciate the swift response from local and state emergency responders in Moore County to protect public safety and work with Duke Energy to restore power,&#8221; he wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I appreciate the swift response from local and state emergency responders in Moore County to protect public safety and work with Duke Energy to restore power. (1/3)
&mdash; Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) <a href="https://twitter.com/NC_Governor/status/1599527753732489222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;An attack like this on critical infrastructure is a serious, intentional crime and I expect state and federal authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring those responsible to justice,&#8221; Cooper added. &#8220;Moore County has strong, vibrant communities and the state will continue to provide transportation and public safety assistance.&#8221;
Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said in a <a href="https://katv.com/news/nation-world/sheriff-criminal-vandalism-cuts-power-across-north-carolina-county-gunfire-gunshots-gun-vandal-power-outage-sabotage-electricity-moore-county-duke-energy-ronnie-fields-sheriff-southern-pines-mike-cameron#:~:text=Duke%20Energy%20spokesman%20Jeff%20Brooks,be%20restored%20by%20Sunday%20evening." target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to KATV-TV that the company experienced “multiple equipment failures” at substations. The power company was “investigating signs of potential vandalism related to the outages,&#8221; according to the statement. Power may be out in some areas until at least Monday, according to the latest updates.
US Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC), whose district includes Moore County, released a <a href="https://hudson.house.gov/press-releases/hudson-releases-statement-on-moore-county-power-outage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Sunday regarding the attacks.
&#8220;Last night, unknown individuals vandalized at least two substations in Moore County with criminal intent,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Motive for this crime remains unknown. Many Moore County residents remain without power. I want to thank Sheriff Ronnie Fields and all local law enforcement as well as the SBI and FBI for their quick action to respond to the incident. I have also been in contact with Duke Energy and know they are working on all options to restore power as quickly as possible.&#8221;
The congressman&#8217;s statement said the Southern Pines Police Department has opened its community room to the public for charging electronic devices.
The outage also impacted Moore Regional Hospital, forcing the facility to switch to generator power, <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article269579392.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The News &amp; Observer</a> reported.
“The Moore campus is safely operating on backup generator power and we have not experienced any issues or concerns,” spokesperson Gretchen Kelly said, according to the outlet.
A previous version of this story reported that the power outages occurred in Monroe County. The power outages affected Moore County.

power lines

Intentional Attack Takes Down Power For 40K People In North Carolina

Crime

North Carolina

The <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> announced on Wednesday, six days before the upcoming <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/2022-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">midterm</a> elections, that the federal government would help pay <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> bills for qualifying low- and moderate-income households.
The administration will provide $4.5 billion through the Department of Health and Human Services to “help lower heating costs for American families this winter,” according to a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/11/02/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-lower-energy-costs-for-families/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from the White House. The funds will cover unpaid utility payments and “help families make cost-effective home energy repairs to lower their heating and cooling bills.”
Meanwhile, the administration emphasized $9 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act that state and local governments can utilize to fund energy upgrades for 1.6 million homes, as well as various efforts from the Department of Energy to reduce power expenses.
According to the most recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-much-power-bills-could-rise-this-winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winter fuels outlook</a> from the Energy Information Administration, the average household primarily using natural gas for space heating will spend $931 on power from October to March, marking a $206 increase since last year. Energy expenses have been a primary factor behind inflation reaching four-decade highs.
Vice President Kamala Harris is slated to visit a union hall in Boston, Massachusetts, on Wednesday to discuss the new initiatives. “President Biden’s economic plan focuses on lowering energy costs for American families so they can keep their homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer, especially as communities across the country cope with extreme temperatures and volatile weather fueled by climate change,” the White House remarked.
The Biden administration has also announced the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-release-more-oil-from-strategic-reserve-ahead-of-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release of large portions</a> of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve over the past several months, leading critics to argue that officials are merely attempting to reduce energy prices ahead of the midterm elections to improve the odds for their legislative allies. The national average price for gasoline <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-hit-grim-national-average-of-5-per-gallon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed</a> $5.00 per gallon this summer, even though prices at the pump are currently $3.77 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA, marking a 58% increase since the commander-in-chief assumed office at the beginning of last year.
Midterm polling consistently shows voters have their eyes on the economy and cost of living more than any other issue. One <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-midterm-poll-spells-bad-news-for-democrats-on-the-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from ABC News and The Washington Post found that 84% of voters identify the economy as their top concern, while the Republicans lead the Democrats by a 16-point margin concerning trust in handling the economy.
Another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-who-have-worse-finances-since-biden-was-elected-overwhelmingly-blame-democrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from Bankrate shows that 43% of respondents believe their finances are worse than two years ago, while only 18% say they are better and most of the individuals in the former category say Democrats are responsible. Among those who reported worse finances, 69% placed “at least a moderate amount of blame” on Biden, while 71% placed blame on Democrats in Congress. A smaller but still salient 54% blamed Republicans in Congress. Although 93% of Republicans with lower financial prospects said Biden is to blame, 30% of Democrats agreed.
Beyond moves to place downward pressure on energy prices, critics also assert that Biden’s move to cancel up to $10,000 in student loans per borrower comes amid worries that Republicans will take one or both chambers of Congress. In a lawsuit, the Pacific Legal Foundation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flagrantly-illegal-lawsuit-hits-biden-over-student-debt-cancellation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that the debt cancellation is an “election year ploy.”

Joe Biden and Running Mate Kamala Harris Deliver Remarks In Delaware

White House Announces Days Before Midterms That Biden Admin Will Help Pay Certain People’s Power Bills

Biden Admin Will Help Pay Certain People's Power Bills

2022 Midterms

Biden Administration

Executive

White House

Arkansas GOP senator Tom Cotton, who fiercely condemned the riots ensuing after George Floyd’s death and also has harshly criticized the Democrats for their support of the Iran nuclear deal, condemned the Democratic Party and the American Left for their repeated attempts to sabotage American power in a multitude of ways.
Cotton appeared on Fox News’ “Life, Liberty and Levin” to discuss his new book, “Only The Strong; Reversing the Left’s Plot to Sabotage American Power.”
“I started to conceive ‘Only the Strong’ last summer after the fiasco in Afghanistan,” Cotton stated. “I had so many Americans asking me, ‘How did we let this happen? How did we lose to a band of medieval savages?’”
“I got that question in other forms too,” he recalled. “How did we let left-wing radicals rampage in our streets in the summer of 2020 tearing down statues of our heroes like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant? How we got to the point where we’re allowing schools to indoctrinate our kids with critical race theory or transgender ideology, where we’re subjecting troops in our military to similar kind of ‘Maoist struggle’ sessions?’”
Then Cotton launched his attack on the Left: “What I want to tell the readers of ‘Only the Strong’ is that this is not an accident. This is intentional. The decline that they sense in America is decline by design.”
“The Democratic Party has long been at best ambivalent about America and openly hostile to American power, whether the military, our sovereignty, about safety on the streets or having a strong prosperous economy,” he charged.
“It goes back to the roots of the modern progressive movement with Woodrow Wilson, the first president to openly repudiate the founding principles of our country,” he pointed out. “To criticize the Declaration and Constitution after you repudiate the founding principles of our country, it‘s a very short step to repudiating America itself, which is what the new Left did in the 1960’s and 1970’s during Vietnam.”
He turned to the fulfillment of the Left’s desire in the presidency of Barack Obama: “And then you have the culmination of these trends in the presidency of Barack Obama, the most ideological president since Woodrow Wilson and now his understudy, Joe Biden.”
Cotton pointed out that Obama was more guarded than Wilson in his statements, but “sometimes let the mask slip, as when he said he didn’t believe in American exceptionalism any more than say, Greeks believed in Greek exceptionalism, which is really to say American exceptionalism is just kind of an outmoded, obsolete, chauvinism for one’s own. Or when he said he wanted to fundamentally transform America.”
Asked about President Biden, Cotton concluded, “Now that he’s surrounded himself with the ideologues from the Obama team, you really see the third term of the Obama presidency when it comes to sabotaging the sources of American power.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZhjoWC4DSBI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Senators Scott And Cotton Join Republican Senatorial Candidate Herschel Walker On The Campaign Trail In Georgia

Cotton Fiercely Condemns The Left, Dems For Sabotaging American Power

Democratic Party

Leftist

Tom Cotton

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