If Coal Still Dominated the Grid, This Cold Snap Would Barely Register
<January 23, 2026
https://www.realclearwire.com/articles/2026/01/23/the_grid_will_hold_-maybe-_but_the_bill_will_rise_1160644.html
The US Grid Will Hold - Maybe - But the Bill Will Rise
When coal still dominated the grid, winter pricing behaved differently. Coal plants stored months of fuel on site. They did not compete with residential heating for delivery. They did not depend on pipeline pressure or wellhead performance. When cold arrived, they simply ran.