▁tracking ▁the ▁system . ▁Good man ▁receives ▁field ▁reports ▁from ▁his ▁friend ▁" T orn ado ▁Tommy " ▁( R andy ▁Qu a id ) ▁and ▁assistance ▁from ▁new ▁intern ▁Sab r ina ▁Rog ers ▁( A lic ia ▁John ston ). ▁As ▁time ▁passes , ▁he ▁real izes ▁the ▁system ▁is ▁heading ▁towards ▁Chicago , ▁joined ▁by ▁an ▁unusual ▁warm ▁storm ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁south , ▁which ▁is ▁already ▁causing ▁a ▁record - bre aking ▁heat ▁wave ▁in ▁the ▁city , ▁and ▁an ▁ab norm ally ▁early ▁cold ▁front ▁from ▁the ▁Ar ctic . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁Mitch ▁B enson ▁( Th omas ▁Gib son ), ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁Oper ations ▁at ▁Mid west ▁Electric , ▁is ▁struggling ▁to ▁keep ▁power ▁going ▁to ▁the ▁residents ▁because ▁the ▁six - week ▁heat ▁wave ▁is ▁stra ining ▁the ▁system ▁and ▁residents ▁are ▁ref using ▁to ▁follow ▁power ▁conservation ▁requests . ▁To ▁get ▁more ▁energy , ▁he ▁is ▁working ▁with ▁the ▁company ' s ▁largest ▁supp lier , ▁Lex er , ▁but ▁the ▁company ' s ▁CE O ▁is ▁trying ▁to ▁find ▁new ▁ways ▁to ▁profit ▁from ▁this ▁crisis . ▁B enson ▁also ▁finds ▁himself ▁caught ▁in ▁a ▁conflict ▁of ▁interest ▁as ▁he ▁is ▁having ▁an ▁affair ▁with ▁the ▁Lex er ' s ▁public ▁relations ▁representative , ▁Reb e cca ▁K ern s ▁( Ch andra ▁West ). ▁ ▁Am bit ious ▁rep orter ▁Amy ▁H ark in ▁( N ancy ▁Mc Ke on ) ▁is ▁stuck ▁reporting ▁on ▁the ▁heat ▁wave ▁while ▁trying ▁to