Blackout fears erupt as 17 U.S. states are placed under power emergency | 27 July 2026 | Blackout fears are growing for 20 million Americans as extreme heat pushes the power grid toward its limits. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Sunday authorized the operator serving parts of 17 states to activate idle power sources in an effort to keep the lights on. The emergency order covers Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Montana. It also includes Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. The move gives Southwest Power Pool, which oversees the central U.S. grid, permission to deploy backup generators if electricity supplies become strained. It is the final step before a Level 3 Energy Emergency Alert, which could trigger rolling blackouts to prevent a wider collapse.