The U.S. Department of Energy warned on Monday that nationwide power outages could rise sharply over the next five years as electricity demand outpaces the addition of dependable generation. The analysis, prepared for President Donald Trump under an executive order on grid reliability, projects that blackouts may double by 2030, equating to as much as 800 hours without power each year if current trends persist. The department said roughly 104 gigawatts of coal- and gas-fired capacity are set to retire by the end of the decade. Although 209 GW of new generation is scheduled to come online, only 22 GW would provide firm, around-the-clock power. The imbalance is expected to widen as artificial-intelligence data centres and advanced manufacturing facilities drive a surge in electricity consumption. Officials argued that continued closures of fossil-fuel plants, combined with delays in building replacement capacity, threaten economic growth and national security. The report suggests using federal emergency authority to keep certain coal and natural-gas stations operating and calls for new assessment models that account for the duration and frequency of outages rather than peak-hour demand alone.