For many Texans, the recent cold snap has been an unprecedented event, but unfortunately, it has cost hundreds of thousands their power. For a state accustomed to warmer climates and fewer snow days, this can be a perplexing phenomena. To provide some perspective, here’s a look at why hundreds of thousands of Texans lost power in this latest round of winter weather.
The first and most immediate cause was the strain put on the power grid by the extreme low temperatures. Texas is known for its hot summers, which require the grid to output a lot of energy to keep homes and businesses cool. As of late, the grid has been running at full capacity with much of Texas entering a “Stage 4” or “Emergency” energy alert. With the temperatures dropping even further, the grid simply couldn’t handle the amount of electricity being demanded, and hundreds of thousands were cut off by “rolling blackouts”.
In addition to this strain, the equipment used to power Texas homes and businesses was ill-equipped to handle the frigid temperatures. Covering most of Texas, especially in the rural areas, are power lines that use “bare lines” which are not insulated from the cold. With temperatures reaching -14 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations, these bare lines quickly froze over, leading to outages and further complicating the power outage situation.
Perhaps the biggest issue came from the lack of preparation by the state and other power companies. Despite forecasts calling for extreme temperatures well in advance, the state of Texas failed to reinforce the power grid or take other measures to prepare, leaving many Texans to effectively fend for themselves. Distributors like ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, also fell short in their duties to warn of outages and support those affected.
Overall, the combination of a power grid close to full capacity, inadequate insulation on power lines, and a lack of preparation all played into a winter disaster for hundreds of thousands of Texans. As the temperatures slowly start to rise, the full aftermath of this cold snap is yet to be seen, but the state and power companies must take responsibility and make the necessary steps to ensure something like this never happens again.