As bitter cold sweeps through Texas, ERCOT says the power grid is stable

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As an arctic blast settled over Texas, parts of the state braced for frigid temperatures, icy roads and possible snow starting on Wednesday, while state officials assured Texans that they're prepared for the winter weather and so is the state's power grid.

Rain, sleet and snow is forecast to push into West Texas Wednesday afternoon before moving east through Friday morning, with higher snowfall amounts projected in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and northeast Texas. Meanwhile, Central, South and southeast Texas may receive rainfall that could lead to flooding, Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Wednesday press conference.

State officials warned that a difference of one or two degrees in temperature could spell the difference between no snow and several inches of snow in some areas. Abbott said that there may be local power outages from downed tree limbs and motor vehicle crashes into utility poles.

"We're putting public safety first," Abbott said during the news conference with state emergency officials. "If there is a loss of power, it's not gonna be because of the power grid. It's gonna be because of some impact on a local power line that your local power provider is gonna be responsible for addressing.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has issued a weather watch until Friday but has not requested that Texans reduce their power usage.

“At this time, grid conditions are expected to be normal, and there is no current expectation of an energy emergency,” ERCOT said in a written statement, adding that it will continue to monitor weather conditions closely.

Energy supply is comfortably exceeding demand. As of Monday morning, the state’s operating reserves — or the energy that can be quickly deployed in the event of a sudden outage — stand at 12,000 megawatts, far above the threshold of 2,500 megawatts when emergency measures would begin.

The National Weather Service urged caution as wintry conditions are expected to persist through the week. Untreated roads could become slick with ice, especially Thursday and Friday, making travel treacherous. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is recommending that Texans stock up on groceries, check on neighbors, protect vulnerable pipes and plants, and stay informed as the cold snap continues.

This week’s frigid temperatures come from a familiar culprit: the polar vortex. Typically confined to the Arctic region, the vortex is a band of strong winds that at times can weaken and move south, bringing extreme cold air to the U.S., as far south as Texas.

This weather pattern is similar to what spawned Winter Storm Uri, a February 2021 blast of arctic air that brought snow, ice and subfreezing temperatures to Texas and caused the near-collapse of the state grid. The storm triggered widespread power outages that left millions in the dark and cold for days, killed hundreds of people and brought sweeping changes to the state’s grid operations.