• The Manhattan skyline is framed by ice crusted on a barrier on the Observation Deck of New York’s Empire State Building. Richard Drew / AP Photo
    The Manhattan skyline is framed by ice crusted on a barrier on the Observation Deck of New York’s Empire State Building. Richard Drew / AP Photo
  • Cory Bean works atop a utility pole to repair a power line in East Lansing, Michigan. Mr Bean was part of a crew from utility service company T&D Solutions out of Kentucky brought in to assist Consumers Energy with restoring power in Michigan after the ice storm. Al Goldis / AP Photo
    Cory Bean works atop a utility pole to repair a power line in East Lansing, Michigan. Mr Bean was part of a crew from utility service company T&D Solutions out of Kentucky brought in to assist Consumers Energy with restoring power in Michigan after the ice storm. Al Goldis / AP Photo
  • Ice cover on the Great Lakes is seen in an image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. NASA / Reuters
    Ice cover on the Great Lakes is seen in an image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. NASA / Reuters
  • A flock of Geese fly past the smokestacks at the Jeffrey Energy Centre coal power plant as the suns sets near Emmett, Kansas. Charlie Riedel / AP Photo
    A flock of Geese fly past the smokestacks at the Jeffrey Energy Centre coal power plant as the suns sets near Emmett, Kansas. Charlie Riedel / AP Photo
  • A mechanised shovel loads a haul truck that can carry up to 250 tons of coal at the Spring Creek coal mine near Decker, Montana. Matthew Brown / AP Photo
    A mechanised shovel loads a haul truck that can carry up to 250 tons of coal at the Spring Creek coal mine near Decker, Montana. Matthew Brown / AP Photo
  • The Duke Energy coal-fired power plant is seen from the Dan River in Eden, North Carolina in February, 2014. Chris Keane / Reuters
    The Duke Energy coal-fired power plant is seen from the Dan River in Eden, North Carolina in February, 2014. Chris Keane / Reuters
  • Kevin Pokorny works on his third house clearing snow for neighbors in Barrington, Illinois. The New Year’s Day snow storm brought double-digit snow totals to the suburbs of Chicago. Bob Chwedyk / AP Photo
    Kevin Pokorny works on his third house clearing snow for neighbors in Barrington, Illinois. The New Year’s Day snow storm brought double-digit snow totals to the suburbs of Chicago. Bob Chwedyk / AP Photo

In pictures: Polar vortex gives new life to ageing US power plants


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Masses of arctic air have threatened some cities with winter blackouts.