Texas blackouts show the power grid isn’t ready for climate change
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas blackouts show the power grid isn’t ready for climate change

LA Times  

A woman wrapped in a blanket crosses the street Tuesday near downtown Dallas. When a few hundred thousand California homes and businesses lost power for several hours last summer, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wrote that the Golden State “is now unable to perform even basic functions of civilization, like having reliable electricity.” What Texans have experienced over the last few days was far worse. The Wall Street Journal editorial board used the emergency to argue that the nation’s power grid “is becoming less reliable due to growing reliance on wind and solar, which can’t provide power 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the power grid for most of the state, told a different story. Upgrading buildings with thicker walls, strategically placed windows and other energy-efficiency measures would save lives, protect people who can’t afford higher power bills and reduce the need to spend large sums of money expanding the power grid, said Emily Grubert, a social scientist and engineer at Georgia Tech. During California’s grid emergency last summer, he wrote that Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leading supporter of the Green New Deal, “want to make CA’s failed energy policy the standard nationwide.” With President Biden pledging to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035 — and solar and wind now the cheapest sources of electricity in most of the world — that’s the way the country is going.

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History of this topic

Texas governor criticizes Houston energy as utility says power will be mostly restored by Wednesday
5 months, 1 week ago

Texas governor criticizes Houston energy as utility says power will be mostly restored by Wednesday

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — The majority of Houston outages that followed Hurricane Beryl should be fixed within the next two days, the city’s main utility company said Monday as Texas Gov. The Texas Public Utility Commission, the state’s regulatory agency, announced Monday it had launched an investigation Abbott demanded into CenterPoint’s storm preparation and response as hundreds of thousands of residents …

Texas governor criticizes Houston energy as utility says power will be restored by Wednesday
5 months, 1 week ago

Texas governor criticizes Houston energy as utility says power will be restored by Wednesday

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The majority of Houston outages …

Houston keeps buckling under storms like Beryl. The fixes aren’t coming fast enough
5 months, 1 week ago

Houston keeps buckling under storms like Beryl. The fixes aren’t coming fast enough

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — Sharon Carr is frustrated. “If it’s broke, let’s fix it.” Hurricane Beryl is the latest in a long line of devastating storms to paralyze Houston, underscoring the city’s inability to sufficiently fortify itself against weather events brought on by climate change. “It’s a totally different game that we’re playing today,” said Michelle Meyer, director of the Hazard Reduction …

Millions of Texans still lack power as temperatures climb
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Millions of Texans still lack power as temperatures climb

Raw Story  

"Millions of Texans still lack power as temperatures climb" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Millions of Texans remain without power Tuesday as temperatures warm into the 90s and the heat index is projected to push past …

Greg Abbott facing furious backlash after rolling blackout warning
1 year, 3 months ago

Greg Abbott facing furious backlash after rolling blackout warning

Raw Story  

People in Texas are once again being told to prepare for rolling blackouts, prompting criticism of the state's governor, Greg Abbott, Newsweek reported. "Avoiding the reach of federal regulators, Texas has long operated on a lone grid that is separated from the rest of the country," Newsweek's report stated. "Greg Abbott has turned Texas into a developing country, routinely worried …

Would an occasional blackout help solve climate change?
1 year, 5 months ago

Would an occasional blackout help solve climate change?

LA Times  

An aerial view of Glendale, with the Grayson gas plant in the foreground, the 134 Freeway on the right and the Verdugo Mountains on the left. When I posed my dagger-to-the-heart question to Mark Rothleder — chief operating officer at the California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state’s main electric grid — he responded that spurring power outages by …

A blistering heat wave is turning up the pressure on Texas’ power grid
1 year, 5 months ago

A blistering heat wave is turning up the pressure on Texas’ power grid

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — On another 100-degree day in Texas, Sean Whitaker lingered outside a Dallas cafe after polishing off an iced coffee, having switched off the power to everything back home except his refrigerator. As an unrelenting heat wave grips Texas for a second week, public appeals to stay hydrated and limit outdoor activities have come with another ask of …

Sweltering heat tests Texas’ power grid and patience as thousands in South still without electricity
1 year, 6 months ago

Sweltering heat tests Texas’ power grid and patience as thousands in South still without electricity

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ power grid operator asked residents Tuesday to voluntarily cut back on electricity due to anticipated record demand on the system as a heat wave kept large swaths of the state and southern U.S. in triple-digit temperatures. “The delay in restoring power has caused significant hardship for their customers and it is unacceptable,” said Brent Bailey, a …

Facing heat wave, Texas’ power grid operator asks customers to cut electricity use
1 year, 6 months ago

Facing heat wave, Texas’ power grid operator asks customers to cut electricity use

LA Times  

A man takes advantage of the shade Tuesday in a playground in the Hungry Hill neighborhood of Austin, Texas. Sweltering heat across the South came amid outages caused by weekend storms and tornadoes, and threatened to overload Texas’ power grid. Texas’ power grid operator asked residents Tuesday to voluntarily cut back on electricity due to anticipated record demand on the …

Winter chill brings power outages and travel issues to US south
1 year, 10 months ago

Winter chill brings power outages and travel issues to US south

Al Jazeera  

Winter weather has resulted in at least two deaths in the state of Texas and more than 1,600 flight cancellations. “Please, STAY HOME AND OFF THE ROADS, give space heaters plenty of space, never use your oven to stay warm, and keep generators outside.” Since midnight, we've responded to 90+ accidents, including 3 w/our own units! Please, STAY HOME AND …

Texas power grid at risk again this winter: watchdog
2 years, 1 month ago

Texas power grid at risk again this winter: watchdog

Raw Story  

At least 246 Texans died when the power grid the state depended on failed after being battered by three February 2021 winter storms. That Texas grid and the Texans who count on it for heat and light, are in for another rough, wild winter according to a trusted energy watchdog that warned of those 2021 dangers. "A large portion of …

Heatwave pushes California’s energy grid to its limits
2 years, 3 months ago

Heatwave pushes California’s energy grid to its limits

Al Jazeera  

California is facing the possibility of blackouts as a brutal heatwave pushes demand on the western US state’s energy grid beyond previous records, prompting authorities to urge residents to limit their electricity usage. Learn how to keep your family safe at https://t.co/Ynl3VCdFFD pic.twitter.com/IO2MwZQId7 — National Weather Service September 6, 2022 Along with some power imported from out of state, California’s …

Texas wind power is failing amid a scorching US heat wave
2 years, 5 months ago

Texas wind power is failing amid a scorching US heat wave

Al Jazeera  

Depressed wind power during heat waves isn’t a new phenomenon, and the state’s wind turbines are now operating at 8 percent of output. Wind power — a key source of electricity in Texas — is being sidelined just when the Lone Star State needs it most, with turbines generating less than a 10th of what they’re capable of. The renewable …

Texans told to conserve energy as six power plants go offline amid heatwave
2 years, 7 months ago

Texans told to conserve energy as six power plants go offline amid heatwave

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The operator of the main power grid for the state of Texas has asked residents …

Threats to Texas power supply from new deep freeze
2 years, 11 months ago

Threats to Texas power supply from new deep freeze

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Just over a fortnight ago, the first Arctic blast of the year crippled numerous gas wells and processing plants, …

REVEALED: Gov. Greg Abbott intervened to put a positive spin on Texas' power grid
2 years, 11 months ago

REVEALED: Gov. Greg Abbott intervened to put a positive spin on Texas' power grid

Raw Story  

The two most powerful people overseeing Texas’ electric grid sat next to each other in a quickly arranged Austin news conference in early December to try to assure Texans that the state’s electricity supply was prepared for winter. Two weeks earlier, Abbott had told Austin’s Fox 7 News that he “can guarantee the lights will stay on.” The press conference …

Analysis: Texas’ electric grid is half-ready for another winter freeze
3 years ago

Analysis: Texas’ electric grid is half-ready for another winter freeze

Raw Story  

You never hear politicians promise that hurricanes and tornadoes won’t hurt you, that you won’t get wet when it rains, that protracted heat waves won’t endanger anyone or that urban fires are no threat during droughts. But after the storm that left Texans across the state freezing in the dark last February, the state’s leaders are promising now that the …

New Texas rules after blackout, but not for this winter
3 years ago

New Texas rules after blackout, but not for this winter

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Regulators of Texas’ oil and gas industry that buckled during February’s deadly freeze moved Tuesday toward making some producers more prepared for cold weather, but not in time for this winter as the nation’s power grid monitor warned the state is still at risk of blackouts. “It is not simply a get-out-of-jail-free card,” said Matt Garner, an …

Report: Texas still at risk of winter power blackouts
3 years, 1 month ago

Report: Texas still at risk of winter power blackouts

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas is still at risk of power blackouts this winter in the event of extreme weather like the catastrophic February storm that buckled the state’s electrical grid and left millions of people without heat for days, the nation’s grid monitor said Thursday. “The concern is certainly sufficient,” said John Moura, director of reliability assessment at the North …

Feds say tougher rules needed to protect Texas power plants
3 years, 3 months ago

Feds say tougher rules needed to protect Texas power plants

Associated Press  

DALLAS — Federal officials made more than two dozen recommendations Thursday aimed at further safeguarding power plants and natural gas supplies to prevent a repeat of the February blackouts that caused more than 200 deaths in Texas. Staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Reliability Corp. made their recommendations to FERC’s four commissioners while presenting a …

Grid operators in California and Texas brace for record heat
3 years, 6 months ago

Grid operators in California and Texas brace for record heat

Al Jazeera  

With temps forecast to reach 42C, grid operators have asked residents to cut back on power use to avoid blackouts. Electric grid operators in California and Texas are struggling to keep up with crushing demand for power this week as a sprawling heat wave smothers the western U.S. Heat watches and warnings stretch for more than 1,500 miles, from Northern …

Texas power grid manager issues weeklong conservation alert
3 years, 6 months ago

Texas power grid manager issues weeklong conservation alert

Associated Press  

DALLAS — On the cusp of summer, the electric power grid manager for most of Texas on Monday issued its second conservation alert since the deadly February blackout, calling on users to dial back energy consumption through Friday to avert an emergency. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said many forced generation outages and record June demand has squeezed the …

Texas governor says power grid fixed; experts cite problems
3 years, 6 months ago

Texas governor says power grid fixed; experts cite problems

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Despite experts who say Texas’ power grid remains vulnerable, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott declared Tuesday that new reforms “fix all of the flaws” that caused February’s deadly winter blackout that left more than 4 million people without power in subfreezing weather. He went on to add, “Bottom line is that everything that needed to be done was …

Texas’ fix after blackout doesn’t dwell on climate change
3 years, 6 months ago

Texas’ fix after blackout doesn’t dwell on climate change

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ biggest fix to February’s deadly winter blackout that left more than 4 million people without power puts new attention on projections by the state’s climatologist but does not dwell on climate change after a deep freeze buckled the state’s unprepared electric grid. “Obviously, we have to be able to operate during those type of situations,” said …

Texas missing chance to avert deadly blackouts, experts say
3 years, 6 months ago

Texas missing chance to avert deadly blackouts, experts say

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Elzie Ford lost power in his freezing home for nearly a week during February’s catastrophic blackouts in Texas. Three months later, Texas’ first pass at a fix is almost out of time: Only days remain for state lawmakers to make good on promised overhauls following one of the largest power outages in U.S. history, when more than …

California readies to prevent blackouts, but threats remain
3 years, 7 months ago

California readies to prevent blackouts, but threats remain

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s top energy regulators on Tuesday said the state is better prepared to avoid last summer’s rotating blackouts, but they cautioned the power grid of the nation’s most populous state is still vulnerable to extreme heat waves that could force more outages later this year. Blackouts have become more common in California as utility companies will often …

Reforms to Texas’ energy grid begin moving after blackout
3 years, 8 months ago

Reforms to Texas’ energy grid begin moving after blackout

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ power grid that buckled during February’s deadly winter storm would operate under new oversight and require power plants to prepare for more extreme weather under overhauls that moved closer to Republican Gov. Six weeks after more than 100 people died in subfreezing weather in Texas, including many of hypothermia, both the GOP-controlled House and Senate have …

It's Not Just Texas. The Entire Energy Grid Needs An Upgrade For Extreme Weather
3 years, 9 months ago

It's Not Just Texas. The Entire Energy Grid Needs An Upgrade For Extreme Weather

NPR  

It's Not Just Texas. The Entire Energy Grid Needs An Upgrade For Extreme Weather Enlarge this image toggle caption John Antczak/AP John Antczak/AP The Texas blackout is another reminder that more frequent, climate-driven extreme weather puts stress on the country's electricity grid. Sponsor Message "We planned this grid for Ozzie and Harriet weather and we are now facing Mad Max," …

The Power Is Back On In Texas. Now Comes The Recovery, And It Won't Be Cheap
3 years, 9 months ago

The Power Is Back On In Texas. Now Comes The Recovery, And It Won't Be Cheap

NPR  

The Power Is Back On In Texas. Now Comes The Recovery, And It Won't Be Cheap Enlarge this image toggle caption Thomas Shea/AFP via Getty Images Thomas Shea/AFP via Getty Images For Texas, it's looking like a daunting power bill. The state could spend years paying down those costs — costs that many experts say were avoidable had Texas taken …

‘Who is at fault?’ Investigation into Texas blackout begins
3 years, 9 months ago

‘Who is at fault?’ Investigation into Texas blackout begins

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — The catastrophic Texas blackout was a wider failure than the state’s power grid, which teetered on the brink of an even bigger collapse during a freeze that knocked out electricity to 4 million customers, energy executives said Thursday. Abbott has zeroed in almost singularly on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, accusing the state’s embattled grid operator …

‘Read the fine print’: Texas lieutenant governor blames Texans for high storm energy bills
3 years, 9 months ago

‘Read the fine print’: Texas lieutenant governor blames Texans for high storm energy bills

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The lieutenant governor of Texas has blamed the state’s hard-hit …

Blackouts bring up ‘a four-letter word’ in Texas: regulation
3 years, 9 months ago

Blackouts bring up ‘a four-letter word’ in Texas: regulation

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — All the groceries spoiled and the water was out for days. That leaves Texas little time to make last week’s plunge into freezing darkness that touched nearly all of the state’s 30 million residents one way or another — including grocery shelves left bare and miles of busted water pipes — produce tougher regulations that the state’s …

Republicans defend energy deregulation as new report says Texas consumers overpay by $28 billion for power
3 years, 10 months ago

Republicans defend energy deregulation as new report says Texas consumers overpay by $28 billion for power

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And the only way you can get a baseload in this country is natural …

Opinion: Texas goes it alone on electric power. That’s actually a good thing
3 years, 10 months ago

Opinion: Texas goes it alone on electric power. That’s actually a good thing

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Suzanne Russo is CEO of Pecan Street Inc., a non-profit data and research organization in Austin, Texas that works on electricity, transportation and other climate-related challenges. So alone among the lower 48 states, we have our own independent electric grid, covering about 75% of the state, managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, a non-profit corporation that …

Top Texas power officials to quit after millions endure freezing temperatures when grid failed
3 years, 10 months ago

Top Texas power officials to quit after millions endure freezing temperatures when grid failed

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Top power officials in …

Texas Republicans Prioritized Nonsense Over Winterizing The Energy Grid
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas Republicans Prioritized Nonsense Over Winterizing The Energy Grid

Huff Post  

Texas' incoming Lt. Gov. In perhaps the most emblematic episode of Texas Republicans’ tendency to elevate phantom problems over real ones, legislators finished the 2017 session without taking action on a must-pass sunset bill to keep several state agencies from shutting down. “Texas has been in the hands of people who don’t believe in government in the first place,” former …

Power failure: How a winter storm pushed Texas into crisis
3 years, 10 months ago

Power failure: How a winter storm pushed Texas into crisis

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But standing in the emergency operations center early Monday, …

Power failure: How a winter storm pushed Texas into crisis
3 years, 10 months ago

Power failure: How a winter storm pushed Texas into crisis

Associated Press  

HOUSTON — Two days before the storm began, Houston’s chief elected official warned her constituents to prepare as they would for a major hurricane. As temperatures plunged and snow and ice whipped the state, much of Texas’ power grid collapsed, followed by its water systems. “What’s not manageable is to lose your power for days with a temperature in the …

The Texas freeze: Why the power grid failed
3 years, 10 months ago

The Texas freeze: Why the power grid failed

Live Mint  

A fundamental flaw in the freewheeling Texas electricity market left millions powerless and freezing in the dark this week during a historic cold snap. A severe storm paralyzed almost every energy source, from power plants to wind turbines, because their owners hadn’t made the investments needed to produce electricity in subfreezing temperatures. Another problem emerged: Some power plants lost their …

Texas governor’s biggest donors: Energy industry that failed
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas governor’s biggest donors: Energy industry that failed

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — As frozen Texas reels under one of the worst electricity outages in U.S. history, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has blamed grid operators and iced-over wind turbines but gone easier on another culprit: an oil and gas industry that is the state’s dominant business and his biggest political contributor. Like most of the state’s 30 million residents, Talarico’s …

Texas power grid was 'seconds and minutes' from months of total collapse
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas power grid was 'seconds and minutes' from months of total collapse

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas …

Texas’ electrical grid wasn’t prepared for the storm. Other states’ systems aren’t prepared either
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas’ electrical grid wasn’t prepared for the storm. Other states’ systems aren’t prepared either

CNN  

New York CNN Business — The blackouts that shut down most of Texas for much of this week could be coming to other parts of the country in the future. Climate change is unfortunately already having a dramatic effect on our weather,” Richard Glick, the new chairman of FERC, said at the agency’s monthly meeting Thursday. “The challenges that climate …

Texas crisis has governor facing big backer: energy industry
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas crisis has governor facing big backer: energy industry

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — As frozen Texas reels under one of the worst electricity outages in U.S. history, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has blamed grid operators and iced-over wind turbines but gone easier on another culprit: an oil and gas industry that is the state’s dominant business and his biggest political contributor. Like most of the state’s 30 million residents, Talarico’s …

Power Outages, Water Shortages as Texas Shivers Amid Winter Storm
3 years, 10 months ago

Power Outages, Water Shortages as Texas Shivers Amid Winter Storm

News 18  

Millions of people were still without power on Wednesday in Texas, the oil and gas capital of the United States, with some facing water shortages as an unusual winter storm pummeled the southeastern part of the country. The NWS said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks …

Texas blackouts fuel false claims about renewable energy
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas blackouts fuel false claims about renewable energy

Associated Press  

With millions of Texas residents still without power amid frigid temperatures, conservative commentators have falsely claimed that wind turbines and solar energy were primarily to blame. “The experiment failed big time.” “This is a perfect example of the need for reliable energy sources like natural gas & coal,” tweeted U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, on Tuesday. In …

The crisis in Texas underscores the deadly risks when the grid goes down
3 years, 10 months ago

The crisis in Texas underscores the deadly risks when the grid goes down

Salon  

On Monday night, every patient that pediatrician Phillip Scott admitted to the Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. The energy crisis in Texas underscores the deadly risks communities face when the grid goes down, which will happen more often as the occurrence of extreme weather events increases due to climate change. According to …

Why the power grid failed in Texas and beyond
3 years, 10 months ago

Why the power grid failed in Texas and beyond

LA Times  

The power outages tormenting Texas in uncharacteristically arctic temperatures are exposing weaknesses in an electricity system designed when the weather’s seasonal shifts were more consistent and predictable — conditions that most experts believe no longer exist. The gap between the winter and summer supply reflects power plants going offline for maintenance during months when demand typically is less intense and …

EXPLAINER: Why the power grid failed in Texas and beyond
3 years, 10 months ago

EXPLAINER: Why the power grid failed in Texas and beyond

Associated Press  

DALLAS — The power outages tormenting Texas in uncharacteristically Arctic temperatures are exposing weaknesses in an electricity system designed when the weather’s seasonal shifts were more consistent and predictable — conditions that most experts believe no longer exist. The gap between the winter and summer supply reflects power plants going offline for maintenance during months when demand typically is less …

Power Outages Linger For Millions As Another Icy Storm Looms
3 years, 10 months ago

Power Outages Linger For Millions As Another Icy Storm Looms

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING AUSTIN, Texas — Utility crews raced Wednesday to restore power to nearly 3.4 million customers around the U.S. who were still without electricity in the aftermath of a deadly winter storm, and another blast of ice and snow threatened to sow more chaos. Texas’ power grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said electricity had been …

‘A complete bungle': Texas’ energy pride goes out with cold
3 years, 10 months ago

‘A complete bungle': Texas’ energy pride goes out with cold

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Anger over Texas’ power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze continued to mount Wednesday as millions of residents in the energy capital of the U.S. remained shivering with no assurances that their electricity and heat — out since Monday in many homes — would return soon or stay on once it finally does. …

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