With the height of the winter season approaching, here are some tips to prepare an emergency kit, protect your home and stay informed.
Texas Public Utility Commission
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott intervened to put a positive spin on Texas’ power grid
He’s been heavily involved in positive public messaging about the grid’s winter readiness, but the data aren’t rosy — and experts fear the grid could fail if there’s another winter storm.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Analysis: Betting a Texas election on a weather forecast
Gov. Greg Abbott says he can “guarantee” there won’t be blackouts this winter in Texas after one that knocked out power for some people for four days last February. That’s the kind of pre-election prediction that can make a weather forecaster more useful than a political poll.
Posted in
Energy
Texas grid vulnerable to blackouts during severe winter weather, even with new preparations, ERCOT estimates show
The most severe scenario considered by ERCOT for this winter — very high demand for power, extensive fossil fuel outages, and low renewable power production — does not capture the amount of power lost during February.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Analysis: 2022 primary elections in Texas merit a severe weather alert
Next year’s primary elections start a year after a winter storm knocked out power across Texas — and the government response to that disaster could be on voters’ minds.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
Power companies required to better prepare plants for winter in first phase of rule approved by Texas regulators
The state Public Utility Commission adopted a rule — which experts first recommended a decade ago following a winter storm — requiring power companies to use “best efforts” to ensure plants can operate in the winter.
Posted in
Energy
Oil industry helped handpick members of Texas advisory group for electric grid reliability, emails show
Oil and gas industry groups provided a list of names to the Railroad Commission for appointment to a council formed in response to the February power crisis. All four of the industry’s top choices were selected.
Posted in
Climate Change in Texas
Texas regulators want to prepare the state’s electricity grid for extreme weather. But that’s a moving target in a warming world.
The state plans to use past weather data to craft rules for power plant upgrades. Scientists warn that the accelerating effects of climate change make relying on old data alone insufficient.
Posted in
Energy
Texans not expected to lose power through the rest of the summer, regulators say
The state’s electricity regulators said they’re taking steps to assure a skeptical public that the power won’t go out again if Texas experiences extreme weather this summer.
Posted in
Energy
Officials in charge of Texas’ power grid try to reassure lawmakers and the public that they’re fixing lingering problems
Lawmakers cannot pass laws to improve Texas’ power grid during the special legislative session. They’re discussing it anyway.
