CALGARY, Alberta (Feb. 3, 2026) Enverus Intelligence® Research (EIR), a subsidiary of Enverus, the most trusted energy SaaS company that leverages generative AI across its solutions, is releasing a new report examining how Winter Storm Fern stressed Northeast power markets and highlighted the reliability role of oil- and dual‑fuel generation when natural gas deliverability tightened during extreme cold weather.
During peak cold conditions, oil and dual-fuel generation rose sharply across Northeast power markets, reaching 44% of total generation in the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and approximately 35% of output in ISO New England (ISO-NE), as natural gas infrastructure operated at or near full capacity and fuel flexibility narrowed. The storm period showed a clear relationship between higher oil dispatch and the highest-priced hours across multiple Independent System Operators (ISOs.)
“Winter Storm Fern reinforced a core Northeast winter reality: electric grid reliability is often constrained not by installed generation capacity, but by fuel deliverability,” said Juan Arteaga, PhD, principal analyst at EIR.
“When natural gas pipelines are fully utilized during extreme cold, oil and dual‑fuel units become the fastest and firmest source of incremental reliability, particularly during the most stressed hours.”
Key takeaways:
- Oil and dual-fuel generation increased materially during Winter Storm Fern, accounting for up to 44% of total generation in parts of the Northeast during periods of peak system stress.
- In ISO-NE, oil-fired generation rose from near zero to roughly 35% of total output as cold weather tightened natural gas deliverability and power prices surged.
- Across multiple ISOs, the highest‑priced hours were directly associated with increased dispatch of oil and dual‑fuel resources, reflecting fuel scarcity conditions.
- Natural gas infrastructure in the Northeast operated at near full capacity during the storm, limiting incremental gas burn for power generation when heating demand peaked.
- Extreme winter weather events required grid operators to rely on less economic but fuel‑secure generation, underscoring ongoing winter reliability challenges for the regional power system.
EIR’s analysis leverages proprietary data and modeling, and draws from a variety of products including Enverus MOSAIC and Enverus FOUNDATIONS® – Power & Renewables.
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About Enverus Intelligence® Research
Enverus Intelligence ® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations and macro-economic forecasts; and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies and capital providers worldwide. Enverus is the most trusted, energy-dedicated SaaS company, with a platform built to create value from generative AI, offering real-time access to analytics, insights and benchmark cost and revenue data sourced from our partnerships to 95% of U.S. energy producers, and more than 40,000 suppliers. Learn more at Enverus.com.
