Winter blackouts still a threat to Texas’ power grids: Official

Texas continues to be at risk of power blackouts this winter if the weather takes an extreme turn like this year’s February, according to media reports citing an official from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

The weather in Texas, which is otherwise a fairly warm state, took an unexpected turn in February this year and damaged the state’s electrical grids, leaving millions with any supply of heat.

John Moura, who works at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation as the director of reliability assessment said that “the concern is certainly sufficient”, according to reports from Associated Press.

Even though experts seem to be unsure about any changes in Texas’ power plants and gas producers, Governor Greg Abbott, a member of the Republican party, has projected confidence in the state’s power grids.

Also Read: Senator Ted Cruz flies to Mexico as winter storm hits Texas

Moura said that such an event is not highly likely but also explained that the lone start state could have a deficit of about 40% in case the harsh weather conditions return. He cited projections made by United States’ grid monitor.

The February storm led to one of the biggest power outages in American history, knocking out power supply to more than 4 million customers and leading to hundreds of deaths. Some homes were left without heat and water for days, triggering a national response from the federal government.

United States President Joe Biden’s national climate adviser called last winter’s storm a “wake-up call” for the country to build and invest in energy systems and other infrastructure that are more reliable and resilient in the face of extreme-weather events, according to reports from Associated Press.

Multiple lawmakers in the Republican dominated Texas Capitol did not dwell on climate change in the aftermath of the freeze, and instead pushed to make improvements to the grid.