AUSTIN, Texas — Questions about the reliability of the Texas power grid still linger four years after a winter storm pummeled the state, leaving millions of Texans without power for days.
This week, as temperatures dropped below freezing for much of the Lone Star State, people worried if the grid would hold up.
Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news conference before the winter weather moved in that he was “100%” confident that the grid could withstand the challenge.
“The fact of the matter is that the power grid has never been stronger than it is now,” Abbott said in the news conference.
As of Friday morning, no major outages have occurred across the state, but memories of frosty nights without heat and light still linger for many Texans.
Spectrum News talked with energy expert Doug Lewin about the state of the grid and what improvements have been made since 2021.
Outside of the 2021 winter storm, Lewin said the state set records this week for power grid demand. In fact, Thursday morning saw the highest demand Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has ever met during the winter.
Lewin, who is the author of The Texas Energy & Power Newsletter and host of The Energy Capital podcast, said the grid looks pretty good.
“I mean, the grid was in terrible shape in 2021, as we all experienced. It is much better today,” said Lewin.
Despite that, Lewin said the state still has a long way to go when it comes to meeting energy demands in the future. He said the state has added approximately 35% more energy supply since 2021 but hasn’t addressed the demand side. Most of the added supply is coming from sources like solar and battery energy storage.
“It’s going to be an ongoing process of continuous improvement. But we can be pleased that things have gotten better recently, particularly with the added supply,” Lewin said.
