Can the Texas Grid Withstand This Winter Storm?

Trust in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the operator of the state’s predominant power grid, was shaken greatly by the devastating February 2021 winter storm that resulted in widespread, days-long blackouts. Temperatures plummeted into the single digits and resulted in the deaths of more than two hundred Texans from hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other causes directly tied to power loss.As this weekend’s forecast calls for precipitously low temperatures and wintry precipitation, some Texans are understandably concerned about the possibility of another catastrophic grid failure. Texas Monthly spoke to Matthew Boms, executive director of the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance, an industry group that advocates for companies offering wind-, solar-, hydroelectric-, and battery-powered technologies. Texans should be prepared, he says, but a few critical…

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