Can Texas’ Power Grid Endure Extreme Winter Weather? ERCOT Isn’t Making Us Feel Too Confident
I know you are sick and tired of the weather changes in Texas, because I know I definitely am. One minute we can walk outside in flip-flops, the next we're bundled up in parkas. After the deep freeze we experienced a couple of winters ago, we can't help but wonder if it could happen again and if Texas' power grid can keep up.
According to CBS Austin, Texas energy regulators are promising the power grid will be prepared for winter, but warn us about certain problems that may occur. To be honest, the tone of their latest statement doesn't make me feel too confident.
WILL TEXAS BE PREPARED FOR EXTREME WINTER WEATHER?
ERCOT officials say even though they’re very optimistic about keeping the lights on this winter, the fact of the matter is the demand for energy is at an all-time high, with new cities being built while infrastructure to support them lags behind. ERCOT president and CEO Pablo Vegas said it's likely that under extreme conditions, we could be short on power. Hopefully that would just mean rolling blackouts, but let's not count on that.
The Texas Tribune reports that improvements have been made since February of 2021, but that there's still a lot of work and planning to be done if Texas is going to keep up with growing energy demands. There's even a proposed redesign of Texas' power market that you can read about here.
STAY WARM AND PREPARE FOR WHATEVER COMES OUR WAY
If we’ve learned anything after the winter storm that turned Texas into a winter wasteland, it's that families need to be prepared for the possibility of being without power, water, and other services for prolonged times during this and every winter.
Make sure you have essentials like food, potable water, fuel, fire wood, extra blankets, and other items you sorely missed or needed more of when we were frozen in place.
If the winter does come extreme, Texans will be prepared for the good the bad and the ugly, even if ERCOT isn't.
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